Chương 2: A World Without Them: Part 2
Soobin replied within a minute.
[lol who's that?]
Taehyung's brows furrowed.
[don't be stupid. the other members of BTS.]
Soobin's reply made Taehyung freeze in place.
[no u lol]
[what r u on about???]
[you're the only person in bts]
[what, is the different air in america making your head messed up?]
Taehyung shook his head.
[im jk]
[good. i was worried for a moment.]
With a deep sigh, Taehyung exited the app. Maybe this was just a fake phone; a collective prank involving everyone else but him.
He almost dropped the phone. The app placement, the lock screen and home screen backgrounds, everything was the exactly as he had remembered it.
There was something off, a feeling of intense dread that seeped through his skin, burrowing into his bones and pooling inside of his stomach.
Where did everyone go?
This was all just a sick joke. It had to be a joke, there was no way that something like this would happen in real life, no, it was just a joke.
Just a joke, a harmless prank.
That was the thought that ran through his mind, over and over again, imprinted into the back of his eyelids.
This couldn't be real.
Scrolling through the notifications, his keen eyes caught the title of several articles flash by.
"BTS, a one-man band who took over the world."
"Kim Taehyung(stage name BTS) on tour in the USA."
"Beyond the Scene on tour!"
"BTS's nomination for best solo act in the BBMAs."
He quickly swiped through to his photos, through all his social media, searching for any mention of everyone else, of his chosen family, any mention of the blood, sweat, and tears they had shed over the past six years. Instead, there was nothing. His Instagram had all the same names, but it was filled with only selfies and promotions for him, and him alone.
Desperate, he swiped through Twitter, confirming his mind's darkest thoughts. Thousands of mentions, congratulating him, and him alone. The top trending hashtag was even #BTSsoloactBBMA, #kingtaehyung, #OnTopofTaeWorld, each one with thousands of tweets.
But there was that single strand of hope inside his mind, taunting him, saying that this could be just an extremely elaborate joke. But deep inside, Taehyung knew better. There was no-one in the group who would pull such an extreme joke; no, this was undoubtedly cruel and hurtful. Hell, he didn't think a prank like this was even possible!
Perhaps, his mind reasoned, he had been kidnapped and some sick person had decided to pull this elaborate scheme on him just to see his reaction. He quickly used his phone flashlight to scan for any flashes of lights indicating there was a camera around the room, but there was none.
Plus, it didn't seem like he was bound. He could walk out of here with no trouble. So that only left one option, the one he had been trying to avoid the whole time, the one which sounded so far-fetched but seemed to be the truth.
Taehyung walked slowly to the bed, every step stabbing into his heart. He sat down, eyes unfocused, his phone falling onto the floor.
Everyone was gone. Everyone but him.
And no one remembered them. Except for him.
The crushing weight of sorrow sat heavily on his chest. Taehyung sat there on the bed, gasping for breath. Tears rolled down his cheeks, as his mind reeled from the revelation. He clutched at his hair, leaning face down into the empty bed, and let out a soundless scream, choking on a quiet sob.
After a while, his sobs slowed down, and he lifted his head up, blinking at the sunlight. Hands wiping away at his tear-stained cheeks, he hiccuped lightly.
He had to do something, he couldn't allow himself to wallow in self-pity. If everyone had disappeared, then there had to be a way to get them back; there had to be a culprit behind this.
Taehyung took a deep breath, his mind made up.
Suddenly, his phone rang. On the screen was the contact name 'Manager Eun'. He deliberated over whether or not to pick up the phone. It rang for three times, before Taehyung took a deep breath and answered.
"Hello?"
A light and melodic female voice answered from the other side.
"Taehyung, are you awake yet? Your schedule is packed full today; we have to perform in Citi Field today."
She paused slightly, and Taehyung said nothing.
"Hello? I'm currently outside your hotel room. I bought breakfast."
Taehyung felt like his mouth was dry. He coughed a bit, and replied awkwardly, "Yes, I'll come soon."
If he told this to anyone, they would think he was crazy. He could see the headlines already.
Two sharp knocks echoed throughout the quiet suite.
Taehyung could hear the same melodic voice from before, albeit muffled, calling out his name.
He ran his fingers through his hair and walked up to the door. With a deep breath, he prepared to meet this Manager Eun.
As soon as he set eyes on her, warning bells went off inside his head. Manager Eun looked strangely familiar. There was something about her wavy hair, and her short height.
Manager Eun rolled her eyes. "Finally you decide to open the door."
She held up a bag full of food.
"Here. Breakfast. Eat it as you go."
Taehyung said nothing but took the bag, nodding his thanks. Manager Eun didn't find this weird. She strode down the spacious hallway, pulling out an iPad and rattling out his schedule for the day.
"Right now, you have a interview with SirisXM. It's already 9:07am, and we have to be there by 10."
Taehyung hummed an agreement, his eyes wandering over all the place, staring at the artworks displayed in the hallway, the rich colourful carpet underneath his feet, and the crystal lights up above.
How was he even supposed to start?
Where would he look?
How would he find his family again?
These questions raced through his mind.
As they reached the elevator, Taehyung sighed internally. He'd have to get through today first, without blowing his cover and sounding like he was crazy, or an amnesiac.
Manager Eun pressed for the lobby floor and stood by his side, flipping busily through his schedule. Taehyung snuck a look at her. Where had he seen her before? In the K-pop industry somewhere, on a set?
He just had to make it through today.
He just had to make sure his mind didn't wander to the thoughts of where his family could possibly be.
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