27 – JM focus
Jimin heard Jungkook's little idea and was slightly taken aback. He was expecting him to jump up and down with glee before running as fast as he could to tell Taehyung he loved him. But that didn't happen. Jungkook wanted to play – to stall, maybe? Jimin was confused but he decided to play along.
"That sounds like a lot of fun, but you've got to promise you'll only do it when I'm around. I don't want him majorly freaking out or anything and this has been hard on him too, you know." Jungkook nodded and Jimin watched as the games unfolded. Jungkook was being overly assertive and Taehyung looked both uncomfortable and delighted at the same time. Jimin was happy for his two friends until he got on the bus and saw Taehyung.
The boy had clearly been crying. Some attempt had been made to clean up his make-up, but his eyes were red and swollen. He looked dejected and tired and done with everything. He slumped beside Jimin and said,
"I can't do this anymore. I can't deal with him. It's too hard and he's killing me." Okay. So maybe Jungkook's game hadn't been the best idea even with Jimin there. Jimin wanted to explain but he couldn't bring himself to tell his best friend that he had had a part in this. So they sat and let each other's presence speak for them. Taehyung smiled back at him when he got up to leave and Jimin felt guilty. He didn't like it.
He got up and walked over to where Yoongi was sitting, staring at his phone. He looked up briefly and smirked before looking back down. Jimin slid next to him and said,
"I need a favour." Yoongi looked adamant on not raising suspicion but replied with,
"Anything." Jimin smiled at the contrast between Yoongi's outward self and his heart. Jimin asked,
"Do you have Jungkook's number? I never asked him for it." Jimin watched as Yoongi started scrolling through his phone and landed on Jungkook's contact details. Jimin copied it down quickly into his phone and smiled.
"Thanks. By the way, I never said this yesterday, but don't ever pull me off a bus again. My mom was freaking out and I missed dinner." Yoongi still wasn't looking at him but smirked again.
"No regrets." Jimin was going to object but realised that he didn't regret that day either, so he sat back and said nothing. When Yoongi's stop rolled around, the older boy got up and said,
"See you tomorrow, Chim," and left. Jimin smiled after him, even though he knew they probably wouldn't even speak the next day. It was a weird relationship and he didn't quite know how to deal with it, but at least it was a relationship.
He dropped his bag in his room and lay down for a second, thanking God that he didn't have dance that day either. He took out his phone and started texting Jungkook.
Hey, its Jimin. Look u need to stop w the games bc u sorta broke Tae. Just tell him bc he's suffering here and I don't like it. Jimin wasn't expecting a reply any time soon, but it seemed that Jungkook spent too much time on his phone.
I broke *him*? Hell, I think I broke myself tbh I regret that sm. I want to tell him but I can't idk y. ill try tho, was the reply. At least Jungkook felt just as bad. Jimin knew he really should be studying but there was a drama that needed taking care of. Before he could do anything else, however, he received another text from an unknown number. It read:
Hi Jimin, it's Namjoon. Hoseok gave me ur number and I was wondering if you wanted to join in this project he started. Ik ur voice is rlly nice so do you want to come and sing for me just to see how ur voice works? Taehyung's coming as well I think. So this was that project that Taehyung was talking about. But he had to think carefully. If this was happening at some lunchtime, he couldn't leave Jungkook by himself, especially now that he was going to confess. So there was only one option.
Yh I'd love to! Can I bring my friend? Trust me his vocals r way better than mine but he's kinda shy, he said, praying for a positive response.
Idk, 4 vocalists might be a bit unbalanced. Do u know any rappers by any chance? Jimin had no idea if Jungkook could rap, but he was good at everything else, so he could probably give it a shot. Then he had another idea. He thought back to the fast-paced music always leaking out of Yoongi's earphones and the times he had heard him whispering snippets of quick-fire lyrics. He was about to ask before he remembered that he wasn't even supposed to know Yoongi.
I think my friend can rap but idk you might wanna ask like Min Yoongi or something I swear I've heard him rap b4, Jimin replied and hoped it didn't sound too suspicious.
K thanks. Probably not then. Jimin got up and switched on his desk lamp. He was ready to start studying like there was no tomorrow again when he remembered he still needed Jungkook's permission. He opened Jungkook's contact again and typed,
Also, brush up on your singing/rapping ur coming w me and Tae to Namjoon's song club or wtvr it is. Jimin didn't wait for a response because it wasn't a question.
He remembered the state that Taehyung left in. Jimin wouldn't ask him about it because he didn't trust himself not to let something slip. So instead, he turned his phone back on and opened Taehyung's chat.
Tae, Namjoon invited me to that song thing you talked abt. You still in? Jimin knew he wouldn't get an immediate response, but he would have one by the morning. He put his phone down and opened his books, trying not to think about that day.
The next day, Jimin awoke at 6 am and left for school not long afterwards. When Taehyung got on the bus, Jimin saw that he did look better, but still a down. Jimin smiled.
"Hey, how you doing?" Taehyung just exhaled in reply. They talked for a while before Jimin said, "Look, you really need to tell him; this is getting out of hand. Who knows, he might like you back. I mean, it worked with me and you-know-who." Taehyung suddenly looked angry and Jimin realised that he did not get any sleep and was probably still shaken from the day before.
"Jimin, I don't give a fuck about you and Yoongi," he fumed, maybe a little bit too loudly and a few people looked in their direction, including Min Yoongi himself. Jimin glared at Taehyung to tell him to shut his mouth but it was too late. A few more heads were turned when Yoongi spoke,
"Hey, nerd, what did you say about me?" They had gained a small audience who waited for Taehyung's answer. Taehyung smiled, looking surprisingly confident, and stood up. He repeated,
"I said I don't give a fuck about you and Jimin," Jimin wanted badly for them both to shut the hell up, but he was too engrossed in the argument. Yoongi remained calm and stood up to face Taehyung. He was shorter but intimidating.
"What the fuck are you even talking about, you weirdo? I gave him a lift like once because I didn't want to talk to my dad. Anyway, I thought you were the one fucking him, don't drag me into this weird fucking triangle you've got with that random 1st grader." Jimin knew he was lying. He was acting. But those words cut right through him. The whole bus was staring at them waiting for Taehyung to reply. But Taehyung didn't get to reply.
"Fuck off, Yoongi, just leave him alone and leave Jungkook out of this, we all know you're soft for him anyway." Jimin was surprised at the malice laced into his own words, but his anger clouded his conscience. A few oohs came from the surrounding students. Yoongi huffed,
"Excuse me? You're really accusing me of being soft for that twink? He's a fucking lunatic! Just go back to your boyfriend and stop bringing me into your fucking mess of a three-way." All eyes turned back to Jimin as he stood up and walked over to Yoongi, whose eyes changed from secretly apologetic to confused. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Jimin smiled and made full eye contact with Yoongi.
"You told me to go to my boyfriend," he said and Yoongi smirked at him as if to say, do you really want to go there? Yoongi pushed at his chest and Jimin stumbled backwards slightly.
"Ew, in your fucking dreams, fag." Low. "Why the fuck am I even part of this? I didn't do anything to you." Sure. Jimin cocked his head to the side.
"I know, you only made out with me twice, I'm being so unfair," Jimin smirked and Yoongi looked genuinely furious. The audience gasped and Taehyung piped back up,
"Step right up and see Min Yoongi in full-blown gay panic mode!" A few people laughed; others were scared to. Jimin wasn't.
"Come on, Yoongi, scared to admit you love me?" The bus slowed down as it approached the school and Yoongi's friends looked amongst themselves before shoving past Yoongi and walking out of the door. Yoongi stayed silent while the rest of the students tore their eyes away from the scene to go to school. Yoongi looked up at Jimin, anger dulled.
"You don't know what you've done."
