Jimin bites on his bottom lip, eyes travelling in all directions as his small hands wrap around his cup of coffee. His heart beats fasten a little as he finally lands his gaze on the boy in front of him, scanning him.

Taehyung is quiet, looking down at his own cup of coffee with blank eyes.

Jimin furrows his eyebrows at that. Taehyung hated coffee.

His silence is foreign, too; Taehyung was always talkative and he wouldn't shut up unless someone forced him to, yet again, time changes people.

"So," Jimin finally says, trying to break the tension as he smiles, "How are you?"

Taehyung looks up at him. "Good."

He pulls out his phone and starts scrolling.

Jimin purses his lips, leaning forward on his chair. "You hate coffee."

"Yeah," Taehyung replies without looking up, eyes glued to the device in his hand.

"Then why did you order it?" Jimin asks softly.

Taehyung pauses, but he doesn't look at Jimin. He shrugs his shoulders and continues looking at his phone.

"Are you mad at me?" Jimin asks.

"No."

Jimin squints his eyes and exhales, hanging his head. "I'm sorry I didn't reach out to you before."

"Okay."

Jimin looks up back again, gaze fixed on his friend. "Taehyung, stop ignoring me. Let's talk this out."

"No."

Jimin sighs in exasperation, looking away.

"I needed someone," Taehyung suddenly says, still looking down, fringe covering his eyes. "I needed you."

"I tried calling you, I really did," Jimin says, "I was caught up with school and all, and I know it isn't an excuse but I really couldn't reach you."

"My mother is your teacher," Taehyung says calmly, "If you wanted to get to me, you would have."

"Why are you blaming me? You didn't call either," Jimin scoffs.

"I was the one going through a hard time," Taehyung says, finally looking up to meet Jimin's eyes. "My friend died, Jimin. He was murdered. By my other friend. I'm sure mother told you, she doesn't shut up."

Jimin's eyes soften, his heart breaking a little. "I didn't know, I'm really sorrㅡ"

"I was there with you," Taehyung cuts him off, words coming out rushed as his chest rises and falls rapidly, "I was there with you when your mother died, how could you not be there when my friend died, too?"

The sadness washes away from Jimin's eyes, eyebrows coming closer together. "I told you I didn't know. And it's not like I asked you to be there when mom died. Stop mentioning it as if you were doing me a favour."

"I was, Jimin," Taehyung says through gritted teeth. "Tell me, though. Are you saying it wouldn't've mattered whether I was beside you or not?"

Jimin clenches his jaw, hands rolling into fists by his side. "No. It wouldn't've mattered."

"You were really doing me a favour, weren't you?" He adds. "I was the poor kid with a dead mom who had no friends, and you're the good kid who's there for his friends when they need him. You did it out of pity."

Taehyung scoffs, leaning back in his chair. "So what? You're here out of pity, too. 'Oh, poor little Taehyung is depressed. I should make up for my mistake by standing by him now because I wasn't there when he actually needed me'. Or was it also a favour? For my mother, huh? Of course, you must be grateful. She got you in that stupid dance competition she keeps on rambling about."

Jimin exhales in annoyance, chuckling bitterly. "Are you serious? I'm here for you, Taehyung, not for your mother and you ought to know more than anyone else. I didn't come here out of pity. Not everyone is as shitty as you are."

Jimin stands up, his chair sliding back with a screech making people stare.

"If all these years you were my friend out of pity, then I'm sorry for caringㅡ"

"Caring my ass!" Taehyung interrupts again, glaring at Jimin with shiny eyes. "If you cared, you would've been there."

"You would've been there," He repeats in a much lower voice, tears bimmering in his eyes.

Jimin's heart softens for a second, but he ignores it and walks out of the cafe, leaving a shaking Taehyung in his seat.

He heads straight to Lee's afterwards, putting on his boxing gloves the first thing and punching the bag. He doesn't wait for Lee or warms up, and only concentrates on beating the shit out of the punching bag.

His mind's clouded with thoughts, words replaying in his ears that he doesn't notice when Lee walks out and stands a few steps away, arms crossed as she watches him attack the bag.

He can still hear Taehyung's voice, saying it was all out of pity. He can still see him, eyes red as he bashes him for not being there.

Well,I had no f*cking idea, smartass, Jimin thinks. How would I be there?

Yet again, Mrs.Kim told him something went on, but he tried calling, didn't he? So he's not to blame, because Taehyung, too, could have called. Or should it have been Jimin? Because Taehyung did him a favour, and he's supposed to pay it back.

Jimin screams in frustration, his punches getting harder as the bag swings with every hit, his hands and bones aching.

"Never saw you mad before."

He freezes, turning his head to Lee. Her eyebrows are raised in amusement, arms crossed as she leans on one leg.

"Go on, you were doing fine," She says, waving her hand in the air.

Jimin shakes his head, hands falling limply to his sides as he pants.

"Who were you trying to kill?" She asks.

"No-one," Jimin says.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Then why are you so mad?" She asks, sitting down on the floor with crossed legs. "Must be someone really annoying to get you on your nerves."

Jimin stays silent for a few seconds. "I don't know who I'm mad at actually."

"Mad at yourself?"

"Maybe."

"I used to do that, too," She says, tilting her head, "I imagined the bag as the person I hate the most and punched the f*ck out of it."

"And who may that be?" Jimin asks.

"My father," She replies.

Jimin blinks. "Do you still hate him?"

Lee shrugs. "He's dead now and is probably rotting in hell, so nah."

"Then who do you hate the most now?"

"Myself."

Jimin purses his lips. "Why?"

"Don't you?"

"I don't know."

She hums, looking away. "Who do you hate the most?"

"Hate as in... "

"As in you would kill them," She continues his sentence.

Jimin frowns. "I wouldn't kill anyone."

"Not even your bully?"

"No. I hate him, but I wouldn't kill him."

She smiles a little. "That's great. Don't ever lose that mentality."

"Would you kill those you hate?" He asks.

She nods.

"Your father?" He asks in a whisper.

She nods.

He gulps. "You?"

She doesn't respond for a while, eyes staring into blank space, but then she smiles.

And nods.

---

A/N: we going emo hours