Jimin and Jungkook walked into the class together. There were very few students inside as they arrived early. Yoongi waved at Jungkook and the younger smiled at the older, ignoring Do-Jin as he did since the little accident.

"You seem to be a bit upset with Do-Jin," Jimin snickered. "Wasn't he best friend of yours?" Inwardly, Jimin was happier than most days. Jungkook was all healed, they were making good progress with the studies, exams were near, their dance practice was almost done, and now it seemed, Jungkook hated the same person whom he did.

"My teacher once told me to not step in shit because shit is shit, it can't get worse than that and if you step on it, you are shit-stained, but it wouldn't make any difference to shit." Jungkook put the bag beside Jimin and sat down with a thump.

When he glanced up, Jimin had his face scrunched like popcorn. "She referred to me as shit when we used to fight."

Jungkook grinned before his grin schooled into high pitch cackles. Jimin rolled his eyes, taking the seat beside Jungkook regardless. "I hate thinking about that time," the older mumbled and Jungkook stopped chuckling all of the sudden.

"Why do you hate Do-Jin so much? Wasn't the dispute between Yoongi Hyung and you?" Jungkook asked, unzipping the bag and taking out two pens, handing one to Jimin, and keeping one in his own hand.

Jimin absentmindedly accepted the pen and a smile spread across his lips when he spotted that the two pens were identical and customized with their names written over them in golden shimmer, Jimin and the one with Jungkook had Kookie.

"It's a long story, Kookie," Jimin said with a lilt of teasing.

Jungkook ignored the nickname and turned to the teacher who had just stirred inside.

**

Hoseok was eating and so was Jimin, but Jungkook was playing with the food, only wanting to know more about what had happened with Jimin and Do-Jin.

"Eat, Jungkook-ah, we have to leave for the lab and I don't want you to whine in my ears later that you are hungry."

"So you are telling me what happened or not?" Jungkook pointed his chopstick towards Jimin. Hoseok kept listening, he sure knew what had happened, but it wasn't his truth to tell.

"I am not going to tell you anything," Jimin ignored the pleas and kept eating quickly. "What is it that you wanted, Hoseok?" He asked his friend.

"Oh, the sapling from your cherry blossom. My grandmother loves the fragrance and lately, she feels nauseous so she wants a hobby and also a remedy."

Jungkook pouted as the two elders ignored him. Once Jimin was done eating, he looked at Hoseok's dish that was clean. His eyes padded a gaze at Jungkook's, it was untouched. "Eat." Jimin quite literally commanded.

"But Hyung, you should I eat, will you-"

"I said, eat. Jungkook." The older punctuated the clear words and Jungkook frowned in despair.

He didn't know how Jimin always made him obey, even when he didn't want to. With the same frustration, he picked up the chopsticks and started to angrily shove the food in his mouth. Jimin stared at him for a few seconds. Hoseok had left the table by then and Jimin waited patiently for Jungkook to finish while looking at his phone.

Jungkook was a quick eater so he was done almost in mere minutes. Standing up, with an expression of protest, he left the table, leaving Jimin sitting behind. Jimin had to look twice at the empty table and Jungkook's retreating figure before he shook his head indignantly at the spoilt brat. Sometimes he wanted to pin Jungkook down on the bed and bite all over his neck to punish him for being such a pain in the ass, but he also loved the boy, so he could never actually do that with an intention of getting back at him.

Jungkook stormed ahead as Jimin followed him out after putting his dirty dish into the sink. Hoseok was talking to Jin in the playground under the orchid tree and Jungkook knew his new routine after lunch. He bounded towards the elders so they could talk for some time and then walk in the playground to digest their lunch. Jimin joined the circle and pinched Jungkook's ear, turning it red.

The boy sure exaggeratedly yelled because when it came to Jimin, he wanted to be pampered. Jimin sometimes thought that maybe the younger had a baby kink. Never could he bring himself to ask it of course. Even if he did, he was sure Jungkook wouldn't be aware of it.

"Are you going to keep being a brat?" Jimin poked Jungkook's rib from the side, causing the younger to giggle and control it immediately.

"Are you going to stay so secretive with me? Then yes, I am."

"What's going on?" Jin asked in amusement at the actions of the two.

"Hyung won't tell me why he hates Do-Jin," Jungkook complained like a baby he was.

"That's simple, Do-Jin stole his journal."

Jin began to bark out a laugh and Jungkook joined him. "You keep a journal? Such a girl." Jungkook joked.

"You don't have to be a girl to keep a journal." Jimin shot an indignant glare at the youngest and the oldest while Hoseok kept his beaming smile going.

"What was in the journal?" Jungkook asked, trying to keep his laughter in.

"With all due respect, sit on my dick."

"Eww!" Jin and Hoseok grimaced his face when Jimin turned around and began to scurry away. Jungkook flushed at the comment so much that he couldn't stand with the two as he followed Jimin like a baby duckling.

Jimin wanted to tell Jungkook the whole story about these boys. If he told one part of the story, he knew he'd have to tell Jungkook the entire truth, and Jimin wanted to protect the younger from the dark reality. They only had a few weeks left for their junior year and then they were to become high school seniors.

Jimin wanted the time to pass quickly so he would leave behind the bad memories without having to think about something every day. He wanted ignorance to be bliss for the younger.

"Hyung~ Sorry."

The small whine caused Jimin to stop and his breath quickened, not wanting to make Jungkook sad, he turned around and looked at him. "It's alright, Koo."

"I didn't want to upset you." Jungkook guiltily looked down.

"I said, it's okay. I am not upset," Jimin slung his arm around Jungkook's shoulders as he began to walk in the direction of parking space." It was the summer break of our middle school," he began, and Jungkook with his big doll eyes whipped his head to look at the older in shock.

"There was a girl named Eun-Kyung who had joined us three years ago." Jungkook felt his palms sweating. He sure wasn't aware of how Jimin's life was before him, but even it was in the past, he couldn't help but get jealous over the fact that someone ruled his mind enough that she was still in his Hyung's memories.

As they approached a bit secluded area, Jimin continued. "Since the day she arrived, she tried to flirt with every good-looking or smart guy in the class. It wasn't only limited to fellow classmates, she mingled well with a few juniors too."

"Slut!" Jimin heard the boy mumbling under his breath.

"No, Jungkook," Jimin shook his head. "She wasn't. But she wasn't a nice person either."

Jungkook began to chew on his lower lip as Jimin continued the story and he heard with his undivided attention. "I was the only one who wouldn't talk to her, but at the end of the day, she was pretty and we all were hormonal. I didn't know when she became exclusive with Yoongi. I and he were on talking terms, but not close enough to discuss our relationships."

Jungkook didn't like where the story was going.

"She did mellow down a bit, I suppose it was because she and Yoongi were now sort of dating that she had to. But she still didn't dial down on her advances towards me. One evening, I saw her near my house and it was only natural that I got curious so I walked up to her and talked for some time. She was my neighbor as it turned out. She didn't bring Yooungi's name ever, and we continued to meet in the evenings."

"What does it have to do with your journal?" Jungkook asked indignantly.

"Everything," Jimin leaned against a car as his eyes gazed around. "I used to capture everything in my journal those days. Her parents weren't at home and she invited me in one day. We ended up together, you know? I am not proud of it that I was doing all this while I was merely fourteen, but what happened can't be changed."

"You wrote about it in your journal, Do-Jin stole it, and showed it to Yoongi Hyung."

Jimin turned to look at Jungkook and heaved a big shaky sigh.

"I am sorry, Jungkook."

"Why are you apologizing to me for? You should say sorry to Yoongi Hyung." Jungkook replied, feeling his heart sinking at the bad feeling he got after thinking of Jimin being with someone else, especially a girl.

"I think my apologies are in order, Jungkook," Jimin uttered in confidence, feeling his legs taking him closer to Jungkook.

The boy wanted to run away, but Jimin held onto his hands. "I am sorry for this and I am also sorry for what happened in the US. I know I hurt you and never apologized for it."

"I-" Jungkook laughed nervously, pulling his hands away. "Why would I be hurt? It's your life and you are an adult. So..."

Jimin had a million things to say, but he decided to wait for the right time.

8 Mar 22