"Is it possible that I might have feelings for someone I thought I hated?" Jimin asked, looking at the plush rug in the corridors of the hotel underneath his shoes.

"May I know if you are talking about Jungkook?" Jimin was sure that Hoseok would laugh at this question and that was why he was dreading this conversation, but the older did no such thing.

"It's not a simple answer, Hoseok." Jimin sighed, advancing towards his room instead of the auditorium.

"It is a yes or no answer, I wish you talked to me in person about this." Hoseok countered, not wanting to scare Jimin's emotions away, yet he was stern. The boy hardly opened up about his feelings and Hoseok wanted this conversation to flow.

"Do you remember middle school?"

"Nah..." Hoseok yelled out comically.

"I wanted to talk to him that day. He was this... I don't know, the cutest thing I have laid eyes on, Hoseok. I didn't know how or why I didn't see him in school before that day, but I couldn't talk to him even after wanting to. I mean I could talk to you about this now but if Jin Hyung didn't make us understand that there was nothing wrong in liking someone from the same gender, I wouldn't be myself." Jimin unlocked his room and plopped on the bed in the next moment.

"Are you okay, Jimin-ah?"

"I am not okay..." Jimin sighed and clutched the pillow that was smelling like Jungkook. "Jungkook was the first boy I ever fancied but I was scared myself that I never had the courage to say anything to him or even to myself. Then he... Disappeared. A lot of things changed since then. Now, I am not really proud of myself."

Hoseok wished so much that he was there in front of Jimin to comfort him. "You are a good kid, Jimin. I agree your temper sometimes gets the best of you but you aren't bad. Don't discredit yourself," he assured. "And if you are holding back because you aren't good enough for Jungkook, then don't. You never know, you might be exactly the one he is looking for."

"It's not that... I didn't think he liked boys but he kind of came out in my car. You know about those fights. I can't stop regretting hitting him so bad and even if I want, there is this little voice in my head that tells me I don't deserve him... He hasn't changed a bit. The same innocence, the same talent, and the same eyes. And look at me, I am not the same clueless kid I was three years ago." Jimin smiled and didn't realize he was tearing up and his throat hurt by choking back tears.

"Maybe Jungkook is all you need to make you realize that you are still the same kid, but with added anger issues," Hoseok suggested, wanting Jimin to really consider his option.

"I - I am confused than ever. I will talk to you once I am back."

"Good luck for tomorrow."

As Jimin casually threw the phone on the bed, he saw someone getting into the room and when he discerned it was Jungkook, he picked the phone again and began to play with it.

Jungkook stood in front of him and Jimin could see him in his peripheral vision, but his eyes remained glued to the screen. "I lied for you and got in trouble, how can you be so careless?" The boy spat out annoyingly.

Jimin felt this unbelievable rage run through his body and he looked up at Jungkook. "It was your problem you lied. You got in trouble because of your own lie, I didn't ask you to do it."

"You are ungrateful," Jungkook couldn't believe this was what he was getting to hear after helping Jimin.

"And you are annoying. Leave me alone," Jimin commanded his eyes to not look at Jungkook because if he did, he would end up kissing him.

Jungkook threw his iPad on the bed and went straight to the washroom, making Jimin feel relieved that he just didn't take off towards his own room. Inwardly, Jimin wanted Jungkook to stay with him.

**

"When will you start your dance practice?" Utkarsha asked Jungkook in the dining hall. The two were standing with plates in their hands while they ate in front of a salad bar.

Jungkook saw Jimin circling around like a shark, but he didn't speak to him since noon after he lashed out on him. "We do get practice video clips from school and we rehearse in our rooms," he replied, not really focusing on Utkarsha.

"We? Who are we?" The girl asked.

Jungkook hadn't realized he was answering for both Jimin and himself. "Me and Jimin Hyung..." The boy gulped. "We both practice at our places and sometimes we do it together."

"Like our study session?" The girl excitedly smiled.

"Y-yeah..." Jungkook wanted the conversation to stop because it was getting difficult for him to talk about Jimin when the boy was right behind him.

They both turned to look at Jimin when he joined their little circle. "You don't know anything about school, do you?" Jimin's tone had a bitter tinge to it that made Utkarsha confused. She hadn't the slightest clue that Jimin liked Jungkook or was jealous of her.

"I am sorry, but no... This is new. It didn't happen in Indian schools so I am lost on it." She replied honestly.

Jimin sighed, knowing he shouldn't be bullying the girl when she was also a participant in the quiz. "Right! Where is Taemin?" He asked, wanting to switch the conversation.

"He had slight stomachache so he decided to skip dinner," Utkarsha replied but Jimin wished Jungkook did. He wanted the boy to talk to him.

"Do you know how much Jungkook takes for a shower?" Jimin asked, slyly looking at the younger one who only ate silently. Listening to his name, Jungkook's eyes met Jimin's and he wondered where had all the anger gone? The older had a fond and soft look for him. "I can give birth to ten babies while Jungkook showers." Jimin smiled, causing Jungkook's heart to flutter by how beautiful he looked and Utkarsha cackled out.

"I don't take that long," Jungkook mumbled to counter, feeling like his heart was suddenly racing in an open greenfield, chasing butterflies with a net.

"Jungkook-ah!" Jaein called and the three looked behind. Jimin had been patient enough to not talk to Do-Jin and Jaein because he knew if he did, he'd end up punching the blood out of them.

Jungkook saw the boy calling him with a motion of his hand. The innocent boy put his plate to the dirty dish stand and walked away. Jimin's eyes never left him and Utkarsha noticed. He looked like he was ready to throw hands any minute.

It was when Jimin saw Do-Jin picking Jungkook's eyelash from his cheek and getting close to him that he left his food and lurked towards them.

"Who invited the nitwit?" Do-Jin chuckled, causing Jungkook and Jaein to look back.

"Let me remind you of your purpose here, oh wait! there is none. That's right, you both are good for nothing." Jimin enunciated nonchalantly.

"Hyung..." Jungkook suddenly held Jimin's hand before he pulled him away and the older didn't miss the smirk on Do-Jin's face.

"You will sleep in my room tonight," Jimin commanded, seething with anger as he kept dragging Jungkook by his hand now.

"Slow down, you are hurting me." Jungkook croaked, causing the older boy to leave his hand all of the sudden and they looked back at the two boys just smiling.

"I will be right back," Jimin rushed to Do-Jin before Jungkook could stop or say anything else.

When Do-Jin saw Jimin sauntering towards him like a maniac, he stammered a little, gulping with fear, but he knew that the boy was smart enough to not create a messy ambush right before the competition and that too in a foreign country. "Got a little crush on our little Jungkook-ie?"

"Tell me the truth? Why are you here? You asked principal Bang to put you here. Didn't you?" Jimin huffed, waiting for an answer as he looked between the two with all the patience.

Jaein remained silent and waited for Do-Jin to respond. "Do you think I came here to cause trouble?"

"No..." Jimin's eyes averted to the ground before clinging back to his classmate's eyes. "I know you are stupid, but not that stupid. Why don't you tell me the real reason why you are here?" Jimin looked at Jungkook who was peering at them from afar, nervously.

"You think I like Jungkook?" Do-Jin suddenly figured out what Jimin wanted confirmation on. "Come on, Jimin! I am not like you to steal other people's boyfriends... Or girlfriend."

Jimin only scoffed, not wanting to explain for the thousandth time that Do-Jin's ex-lover came on to him and he never would have done anything otherwise.

"Jungkook is our friend, we mean no harm to him. In case you didn't notice, he hangs out with us back at school." Do-Jin chided, bitterly spewing the words.

"Not anymore," Jimin affirmed, rightfully too because the boy had been hanging out with Jimin, Taemin, and Utkarsha for weeks now.

"Too bad for him if he chooses you and ends up half-dead when it rains next. There won't always be a crying girl trapped with him to help him." Jaein quickly grabbed Do-Jin's hand as if he had said more than enough.

29 Dec 2021