Part : 02 Accident

Taehyung was lost in his thoughts. A bit off, his face reflected the many images of today which replayed themselves in his brain while he walked down the street. Lucus followed him from a distance, their footsteps in contrast with the bustling city around them.

Today started as one of the best days spent together by Taehyung and Lucus. Or so Taehyung had felt until dinner. The early afternoon was filled with laughter and shared secrets while they were discovering that quaint little café that just opened, sipping at their favorite drinks and having pastries melt in their mouths.

They had walked to the adjacent park after the scrumptious lunch, where the blooming colors of flowers painted a fairy tale and fragranced the air with spring. Lucus had plucked a few wildflowers and tucked them behind Taehyung's ear. But as it approached dinner time, finding them seated for dinner, the mood changed unexpectedly.

He had been surprised by Lucus with a nicely wrapped handbag, something he must have put thought into. Taehyung's eyes widened in surprise; this was his style-something which he had admired from a store window some weeks ago. But they sat so close, and the warmth of that moment seemed to envelop them and led to intimacy that Taehyung did not anticipate. Lucus had leaned in but Taehyung had reacted instinctively---subconsciously pushing him away, as if he was defending himself from some invisible threat. Instantly, he had seen the flash of hurt across Lucus's face, and it pierced his heart.

Lucus apologized profusely, his voice laced with confusion and regret. "I'm so sorry, Taehyung-I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," he had said, his eyes cast down, a look half of embarrassment and half of concern. Since then, he had been murmuring apologies. Taehyung felt guilt and frustration; it should have been him offering the apology. Lucus had always been patient, supportive, and understanding, but it was getting more and more impossible to turn a blind eye to the truth which weighed heavy in Taehyung's heart.

Months had passed, yet he felt a chasm between them that he had hoped would narrow with time. Dating had sounded so promising; maybe after enough experiences shared, he would learn to love Lucus the way he deserved.

But as the minutes ticked well into hours, reality set in: he simply could not return those feelings of romance. He simply could not love Lucus the way he needed and deserved to be loved. This relationship was a betrayal; it did not sit well in his stomach, the idea of taking advantage of Lucus and his affections, though this had never been his intention.

And as they continued to walk, the night air growing cooler and the weight of his emotions weighing heavy in his chest, he turned back to Lucus, who was still falling behind a few paces, his face a mask of regret and uncertainty. It was a sight that twisted something in Taehyung's insides; he wanted to bridge the gap between them, comfort him, and let him know he values their friendship, even when he couldn't return the love being offered so freely.

The streetlights turned on-a soft glow enveloping them, lighting up the way but leaving dark shadows hiding in the corners of Taehyung's mind. He had the urge to stop, to turn back, and to explain everything, to pour out his heart and express the turmoil he felt. Words evaded him as he opened his mouth to speak, tangled in a web of fear and confusion.

Would Lucus understand? Would he still want to be friends, or would this moment ruin everything they had built together? Taehyung exhaled a deep, heavy sigh-mostly lost within the rustling of leaves above. He knew he really needed to find a way to say his feelings, to explain the boundaries they had crossed without meaning to. As he walked, he couldn't shake the feeling that perhaps it was time to stop running and to face the truth once and for all---for him and for Lucus.

"Taehyung!" Taehyung's train of thoughts was immediately cut off as he heard Lucus call him. Turning, he saw Lucus walk up to him, an uncertain look on his face instead of the confidence shining bright in his eyes a while ago. He focused his vision on Taehyung's face as his brow wrinkled a bit, took a deep breath to gather his thoughts, and spoke from his heart. "Taehyung, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make things awkward between us, or make you uncomfortable. It's just that-"

"It's alright! You don't have to apologize, actually, I should be the one to apologize," Taehyung whispered as this surge of overwhelming guilt swept over him.

Lucus immediately shook his head, his expression turning to disapproval. "You haven't done anything wrong," he insisted, firm but soft, as if he were trying to convince both Taehyung and himself.

"Actually, I-I..." Taehyung struggled to pull himself together, trying to gather his thoughts amidst the turmoil in his mind as he tried to put words to everything that swirled around in his stomach. He felt the weight of this moment heavier than what he thought it would be.

"You want ice cream?" Lucus asked suddenly. Surprised by the question, Taehyung turned towards the ice cream parlor across the street, his eyes having been fixed on it he now realised.

Taehyung nodded, glad with the suggestion because he would have a minute to pick and choose his words carefully. "Mm, I would love to have..." he said, trying to lighten things up just a bit.

A smile curled up in the corners of his lips as he let some tension ease off his shoulders, gesturing for Taehyung to stay while he headed to buy the ice cream. The sight of Lucus walking away brought relief, but it was short-lived; Taehyung's thoughts fell back to the conversation they had just been having-the feelings left unsaid between them, like the unfinished cone of ice cream now drawing Lucus toward it.

The moment Lucus crossed the road, an unusual sensation of warmth and dread formed in Taehyung's heart. And then, out of nowhere, his gaze dropped onto a car that seemed to be approaching from afar at an alarming speed. That's when it hit him-as clear as a bolt of thunder.

"Look out!" Taehyung screamed, but the words got lost in the frenzied rush of that moment as his voice was swallowed across the distance between them. He felt a surge of panic as he saw the car just barreling down the road, absolutely oblivious to Lucus's presence.

Within a second, the car hit Lucus, who flew to the ground, and the sickly sound of the impact still lingered in the air. Time just seemed to freeze while Taehyung's heart hit his stomach, and the world began spinning around him in shock and disbelieving horror.

"Hyung!" he yelled, voice cracking in desperation, as he ran across the street-drive of fear within his feet. Everything around him began to fade into a grey mist as he narrowed his focus down to the form of Lucus, crumpled on the asphalt.

As he rushed over Lucus's side, he knelt down, running mentally through everything that could have happened. He could see the pale, still features of Lucus's face, and the very sight caused a jolt of panic in him. "Hyung! Can you hear me?" he cried, voice shaking as he reached out to shake Lucus's shoulder gently, hoping to God he would answer.

These few seconds felt like hours as he sat, having his heart pound inside his chest, at each beat echoing the fear that was soon to devour him. He could see the bystanders gather, the mixture of shock and concern shown on the faces, but all he wanted was to focus on Lucus, to see him get up and smile at him once again.

He also failed to focus on car that hit Lucus, stopped a few meters away with its engine idling ominously in the background. The car window rolled down, and from inside, someone casually threw out an empty bottle of wine. It hit the pavement with a loud cracking noise, shattering into peices, before the vehicle jerked in motion, took off, and was never seen again, without ever showing any trace of concern for the consequences they had just caused.

"Somebody, p-please call the ambulance!" Taehyung screamed, still shaking Lucus, his voice quivering with fear and urgency. His heart was racing as he stared at the pale face of Lucus, who was bleeding, with a gash on his head. Panic kicked in almost beyond his grasp; the air seemed to get sucked out of his lungs as he struggled to breathe.

Time was really dragging on as he eagerly scanned around, hoping for any sign of help. While every second was like an hour in those moments of agony, the ticking of the clock amplified his dread with each passing moment. Just at that time when he thought he would collapse under the load of his anxiety, a car pulled up close by and offered help via a young man in black suit attire.

"Get him in." the stranger insisted, a little firm while Seme was still chaotic. Needless to say, Taehyung didn't have to be told twice; he carefully lifted Lucus cradling his head to avoid further injury, and with enough tugging and pulling they managed to get him in the back seat of the car. The young man quickly slid into the driver's seat, hands clutched firmly around the wheel as he turned the ignition. Taehyung climbed in beside Lucus, his heart pounding in rhythm with the roar of the vehicle.

Every minute that passed felt like an eternity of torment, scaring Taehyung even further. He continued glancing at the alternation of Lucus's eyes, which would flutter open and shut reassuringly---less with each time. "Stay with me, hyung; you are going to be okay!" he whispered.

Thankfully, it didn't take so long to reach the hospital. The car stopped in front of the emergency entrance with a squeal of brakes, and before Taehyung could absorb exactly where they were, the driver was out, sprinting toward the back of the car. "We need help over here!" he yelled out, his voice making a din in the urgency of it all.

As they gently laid Lucus onto a stretcher, a wave of relief washed over Taehyung, only to be filled with an overriding, deep-seated fear. He followed closely behind as they wheeled Lucus into the hospital, his heart heavy with the uncertainty ahead.

The fluorescent lights above flickered, casting an eerie glow on the sterile white walls as they burst into the hospital. Taehyung felt panic overwhelm him; cradling Lucus's head, trying to apply pressure on the wound with hands he couldn't keep from trembling uncontrollably. The chaotic sounds of hurried footsteps and distant voices faded into a dull roar in his ears.

"Stay with me, hyung." he pleaded, his voice cracking under the desperation. The whites of Lucus's eyes flickered open for a second; a flash of recognition crossed his eyes before he fell unconscious again. Literally, Taehyung's heart was racing while he felt him slipping away right before his eyes.

They burst through the emergency doors, and in a sea of nurses and doctors faces-urgent yet professional, Taehyung felt the firm grip of a shoulder, he turned to see a nurse, serenely commanding at him. "You need to step back, sir. We'll take care of him from here," she instructed, making gentle, guiding motions away from the gurney.

"But I cannot just leave him!" Taehyung's voice protested, high and panicked as he struggled to keep his calm.

"Please, we need space to work," she insisted, softening at the fear in his voice. He stepped back hesitantly, his heart racing as he watched the medical team spring to work, shouting orders and quickly moving to stabilize Lucus.

He was helpless, stood there filled with dread.

Time dragged along, slow and sluggish in his opinion, till at a point when Taehyung felt he would burst, a doctor appeared before him. "He is out of danger now. Thankfully his head injury isn't that severe. But his leg is badly injured and needs to be operated on immediately," she said, her voice steady.

He felt the world crashing down. Lucus was a football player.

The football player vibrated with life and color, and the thought of his injured leg sent him scared. Football was not just a sport to Lucus; it was his passion, his outlet, the way he breathed. To know that one stupid mistake might well end that dream sent Taehyung's heart running in panic.

Images overflowed his mind of Lucus sprinting down the field: cleats pounding into the earth, the thrill of scoring a goal. How was this happening? Taehyung's stomach churned with the images of Lucus laid up in a hospital bed, not able to run and not able to play. Was he ever to be the same again?

"Can I see him?" Taehyung asked, his voice trembling, a trace of desperation breaking in. The doctor nodded, momentarily softening her gaze. "You can, but he's still unconscious because of the sedation. Surgery will take a few hours, but I'll keep you updated."

Taehyung followed her down the sterile corridor, the smell of antiseptics invading his nostrils and going straight into the heavy feeling of dread anchored on his chest. Every step weighed an eternity heavier than the previous one as they stopped in front of the operation room. When they finally did, the doctor finally motioned to a small waiting area. "You can wait here. I'll let you know as soon as we have news."

He fell into a chair, his heart racing, thoughts spiraling. Memories of their time together came flooding back. Taehyung's fists clenched at his sides, wishing he could take the pain away, wished he could be in his place.

With every passing minute, he slipped into silent prayers for Lucus to pull through, while the din of the hospital faded away into a low hum around him. All that mattered was to see his best friend once more on the field, chasing after his dreams full of victory and whole again.

Restless fingers fidgeting, he stared at the clock on the wall as every tick in it reverberated in his ears. It was already morning.

He suddenly sat up thinking of the car that hit Lucus and how the driver with loathing disdain threw away the bottle. Anger welled within him mixed with some fear.

He got up and rushed to the police station.

The weight rested on his chest, a mix of dread and determination coaxing him along. He could still see Lucus's face now, the way it shone with laughter just hours before, and he couldn't shake off the image of that mad driver tearing off, like, well, like a mad driver leaving chaos in his wake.

The doors flung open as he entered the police station. He rushed inside, his heart beating well. Above him, the fluorescent lights hummed, adding to his anxiety. He approached the front desk, where an officer stationed himself with an expression of boredom that stared him up-inadvertently unprepared for such urgency oozing from him. "I have to report a hit-and-run." he panted, shaking a bit.

The officer only raised an eyebrow, flipping through paperwork as if they were all just routine forms. "What's the name of the victim?"

"Lucus! I-he was hit by a car. The driver didn't stop. They just threw away a bottle like it was nothing," he spat, anger spilling out now uncontrolled. "You have to do something!"

Finally, the officer realized the gravity of it all and froze. He laid his pen down, leaned forward, and his facial expression turned from uncaring to concerned. "Alright, take a deep breath. We'll need some details. Can you tell me just exactly what happened?"

As he recounted, from the rage inside, a burning need for justice rose. He described the scene, the sound of screeching tires, the panic that had overcome him while rushing to Lucus's side, the fleeting look at the driver before they sped away. With each detail, it felt like another brick on the wall of his resolve.

"That street has CCTV cameras. Please wait back, we will update you in some time." He said, pointing towards the waiting room. Taehyung nodded, getting up to go sit in the waiting room.

While the officer went into the office of the senior officer, explaining with urgency and concern, the latter---a man with years of experience etched into the lines of his face-quickly grasped the gravity of the incident. He immediately called for their department's cyber expert and instructed him to access the street's CCTV footage where the unfortunate accident had occurred. They waited for the footage with a sense of tension in the air.

The footage jumped to life, reflecting back the mad moments just before the accident as they all thronged around the monitor. The various expressions changed from anticipation to those of utter disbelieving horror as the car which had caused the accident came into view. After a few agonizing seconds, they noted the car plate number.

The senior officer then asked the cyber officer to trace the name on which the car was registered. The cyber officer nodded, but within minutes he was struck dumb, his eyes wide in disbelief as he looked at the unmistakable name of the owner of the car that had been captured by the camera.

"What happened?" the junior officer asked, frowning in confusion at the latter's sudden change of expressions.

"The car belongs to JK..." the cyber officer muttered, almost in a whisper, making the rest freeze in shock.