HE WALKED a flowery path, the one they told him. And with each step he took, the plants he passed by, wither.

He walked a flowery path, the one they told him. And with each step he took, the meadow crumbled into dry land.

He walked a flowery path, the one they told him. And with each step he took, he realized... It's the way back to his cage.

He walked a flowery path, one that they told him to.

Only to realize he'd never reach a destination like what he hoped to.

Taehyung is striding down the busy corridors of the university. He has his hands on his pockets with one strap of his backpack hanging on his shoulder. He fished his phone out from his pocket when he felt it vibrating.

From: Unknown Number
Meet me at the rooftop imma discuss something with ya ಠ⌣ಠ

He stifled a smirk when he knew exactly who messaged him, I wonder what dumb things she wants to discuss to me.

Taehyung's thoughts were interrupted when he felt someone bumping into him. He faltered backwards and looked at the guy he crashed with.

"S-sorry!" the guy's eyes widened when he realized who he bumped to. Taehyung noticed his things scattered on the floor. The guy dropped on his knees to pick them up.

Maybe he really is hanging around with Jisoo so much that his reflexes bent down in an attempt to help the guy pick up his stuff.

However, he stopped when he heard him beg, "P-please don't hit me! I'm s-sorry! I didn't mean to!" the student pleaded, terrified as he hugged all his things. Taehyung was shocked and only managed to stare at the man in front of him.

"He's bullying other people again."
"The boy's unlucky, I hope he doesn't get beat up."
"Let's get out of here, we might get caught up in trouble."

Suddenly, he was aware of the murmurs around them. He didn't notice the whispers right away or how everyone else halted in their tracks when they bumped into each other, watching the scene by the sidelines. He felt their scornful gazes, their disgusted eyes and judging looks on him.

His hand, which attempted to reach the guy, closed into a fist. He stood straight.

Ah, fuck I knew I shouldn't forget my goddamn earphones.

Taehyung held his head up high and decided to just walk away. He didn't utter a word, he didn't look back. He just left the scene.

He needed to leave before it became too suffocating again.

—

"THANK YOU so much," Jisoo bowed politely before leaving the faculty room and closing the door silently.

I hope he'll be happy with this, she thought and held the paper in her face.

She gleefully skipped on her steps on her way to the rooftop where she agreed to meet Taehyung. As she turned into a corner, she noticed a figure. Jisoo paused and saw Jennie dialing a number, she was biting her nails as if she was feeling anxious about something until they locked eyes with one another.

Jennie was surprised for a brief moment, her eyes widened before turning blank again and leaving for the call.

I wonder what's with her? Jisoo stared at the space where Jennie was before she shrugged it off and continued her way to the rooftop.

It was a free period today and she is sure that Taehyung is dozing off while waiting for her. He's awfully quiet lately too, so she feels a bit uneasy. True enough, she saw him laying down on the floor.

"Taehyungie~" she poked his cheek to check if he was fast asleep. He whisked her hand away and looked at her groggily with a glare.

Jisoo laughed and didn't mind before she proceeded, "Look what I got!" she exclaimed and waved a paper in front of him. She placed her bag beside him and sat comfortably.

"What's that?" Taehyung's brows furrowed as he got up from lying.

"Your requirements!" Jisoo told him with a big smile.

His face dropped into a frown, "Really? You're telling me about shitty requirements as if you're breaking good news?" he mumbled and attempted to lie down again when she pulled his arm to sit straight.

"No, wait!" Jisoo held him by the shoulders to make him sit upright and not lazily. He groaned but he also turned his attention to her.

She sighed first before talking, "Listen to me first, I worked hard to talk with the professors to give you this chance! They say this will be the last shot—" he cut off what it seems to be her long explanation.

Taehyung's forehead creased as he eyed her, "Talk to the professors?" he repeated in a question.

"I uhm... Yeah," Jisoo slowly dropped her hands as she noticed his reaction.

I don't feel good about this now.

Her eyes did not fail to notice how he became serious and suddenly, she cannot see past through his blank expression, "They won't give me an opportunity just because you talk to them. I have a very bad record. It's impossible," he then told her.

"That's... That's not a problem, I already managed to—" again, he didn't let her finish.

"Did you beg in my stead?" he asked.

She gulped because of his tone. Jisoo found it hard to answer him, "I said, did you beg in my stead?" he asked for the second time.

When she remained silent, he let out a hollow snicker, "You fucking begged for me?" he stared at her in disbelief.

"I'd say it's more of convincing—"

"I know I'm pathetic but do you really need to meddle with things like this?" he asked with a tint of spite in his words.

"I just want you to have a chance," Jisoo looked down on her fingers, her little hope of him appreciating what she did, vanished, "I'm sorry for being nosy."

Taehyung was rendered silent. Her expression looked hurt. He sighed. He didn't mean it that way. It's not because she cared enough to go out of her way for him that he is offended, it's because he hates it when he becomes a bother for her especially when she is forced to beg for his sake over people who's obviously not genuine.

To him, she is someone who must never be treated in such a way.

"It's not that," he put his hand on the top of her head and made Jisoo turn to him, "I'm not angry at you nor do I think you're nosy, a'right? It's just that..." he let out yet another sigh and faced the other direction.

"That's not a chance," he said in a low voice, "That's conviction," Jisoo stared at him with confusion.

"Conviction that I'll never make it," he then added, "They pretended to agree with you because they know I'll fail either way."

Taehyung picked up the paper she brought him, crumpling it lightly in his rough hold while his eyes stared in fury over the writings on it, "See this? Fucking 90 in all shitty tasks! Ha," he gave out a bitter smile.

"It's not the chance you are saying," he said and put his head down.

"I don't want you begging in my stead," he calmly uttered, "No— I hate you begging in my stead."

"You're not some pathetic loser like me stooping down for their yeses. Don't do so much for a person like me," he told her, not able to look at her eyes.

Taehyung remembered all the hushed whispers that were too loud for his own good. The disgusted gazes were thrown at him as if they were rocks, as if they were bullets, as if they were projectiles, aiming for him harshly to fall down.

He knew that he was never a good person.

Maybe they have the right to hate him.

Maybe it's his fault why they loathe him.

But he prefers a gun pointed in front of him.

He'll find more comfort on the cold muzzle rested on his forehead than a knife unknowingly aimed from his back.

He wanted more when their glares looked him directly in his eyes.

And not mock him from the sidelines.

"They lay it down not for me to walk on," he continued, voicing out a realization that he has always had but tried to bury, "They lay it down to watch me trip."

"Have you seen their eyes? Those eyes are reflecting either hatred or mocking. Fucking pieces of shits, think I care about them? I don't. I could care less—"

"Then why are you tearing up?"

Ah, she didn't have to point that out.

For Jisoo, the Taehyung she is witnessing right now is... Desperate. Someone who pretends his wounds do not bleed. Someone who pretends he is not burdened by his chains. Someone who pretends he is numb.

But in reality, this pain is one of the ghosts who comes knocking in his cell all the time.

"The hell? I'm not," Taehyung rubbed his eyes, "It's freaking hot, even my stupid eyes are sweating a little," he was shushed when she wiped a few of his tears.

He was so closed off for years that whenever she tended to his creaks, he pours so easily. Having all these skeletons stashed away in his messy closet, they dance somberly in plea whenever given attention to.

"Sadly, we cannot change them to our liking nor comfort," Jisoo sat properly beside him again, her eyes staring into thin air.

"But even if they successfully make you trip, should you give up walking?" she glanced at him while he remained silently watching her every movement. Sometimes, he thinks, she sounds like someone who has experienced the world already.

"When I asked them for a chance, it's not really a chance to change how they see you," Jisoo calmly told him as she looked him straight in the eyes.

"You will not be better for others," she said.

"Not even for me," she continued.

"I want you to take a step for yourself," he felt her hands reaching for him gently.

"You will move forward from being the bad person they see in you, that you see... To seek solace and peace for yourself. I want you to learn how to let go. I want you to live again," she uttered all her wishes as if it was upon a shooting star.

"I want you to learn how to forgive yourself," Jisoo's right hand held his cheek. Her touch felt warm as always.

"On days you feel worse, on days you feel like you're nothing, on days you feel like you deserve to be alone, like you deserve all this you're going through..."

"I want you to stop thinking that you need to suffer," she tucked a strand of his messy hair lovingly.

Jisoo smiled at him, "Along the way, I want you to find happiness again."

"Because even if I wanted to give it to you... In the end, I can only stay for so long beside you as you find everything I want you to," her hand dropped and she held his hands with both of hers, eyes traveling to it.

"I can hold your broken pieces but you're still the only one who can put yourself back as a whole," she whispered.

"Taehyung, you deserve the happiness you deprive from yourself," Jisoo said to him with the sweetest sincerity he ever tasted.

"And I don't care if people don't see what I see," she told him with determined eyes, something you cannot look away from.

"People... Don't they just see those they decided to acknowledge?" she asked rhetorically, "It's futile, trying to please the world."

"I just really want you to one day look at your reflection in the mirror and forgive him for every little mistake you hate him for," she pulled him to an embrace. Jisoo kneeled as she placed his head to her chest, holding him firmly in her considerate touches.

"Forgive him for the past that has been haunting you."

And as if she is not done lulling his demons, she added the words he yearned to hear.

"I believe in my heart... You did nothing wrong."

He cling to her as if she was the very anchor preventing him from further drowning once more. How many times has it? That he cried his heart under her presence? Taehyung lost count already.

He... he walked a flowery path, the one they told him. And with each step he took, the plants he passed by wither.

He walked a flowery path, the one they told him. And with each step he took, the ground revealed its torn, dust, and stone.

He walked a flowery path, the one they told him. And with each step he took, he realized... It's the way back to his cage.

He walked a flowery path, one that they told him to—

Only to realize he'd never reach a destination like what he hoped to.

"We're gonna shove to their faces that they are wrong about you and then laugh at their humiliation," Jisoo tried to let out an evil laugh but she failed nonetheless.

There's no way she could do it when her laughter is the most beautiful hymn he ever heard. Taehyung suppressed a silly chuckle as he found comfort in her arms. He didn't shed much tears this time, just a little. He wondered if it's because he felt more assured now.

A flowery path back to his cage...

But then she came, like a compass, like a north star in the middle of the lonely desert.

And she held out her gentle hand to him.

Just as he took hers, the flowers bloomed again. Flowers which are real, not fakely uprooted shrubs.

The dry grounds grew their grasses once more.

Then all that's in front of him is her... Her and her warm smile.

The sun does not burn his skin anymore.

Behind her, flashed upon his eyes what it looks like a wide land of gardens, of nothing but colors and vibrance.

She held his hand tighter just when he was about to give up again. He could only stare in awe.

The hands gripping his legs from walking are slipping away as she drags him with her.

Seriously, she really is—

Jisoo leaned backwards and looked at him, "So... we're going to graduate together, yeah?" she asked him as she dried his face.

"Together?" Taehyung scoffed because he still doesn't think it is possible for him to pass but she stared back at him only with firm eyes.

How can she be like this?

Jisoo took his pinky finger to his surprise and without asking him, she intertwined his pinky with hers. He looked up to her and she smiled at him.

"Together," she affirmed.

Believing in someone like him so much— funny how at this point, that's just...

Taehyung pushed her forehead lightly, "Stupid."