The next morning, the group was ready to leave, back to their homes for the summer break. Taehyung dreaded it but he had no other choice. He was sure to receive a lot of scolding from his parents but right now, he was just happy to have come here.

Hoseok came to bid him farewell.  Before he left, he whispered into Taehyung's ear that he was awaiting his answer when he returned. Taehyung simply nodded unable to say a word.

Suzy kept begging Jimin to stay behind with her but the other didn't even look at her. Frustrated she marched away agrily swearing that she would one day take out her revenge.

Namjoon decided to stay back at the resort while the rest went with Yoongi to the bus station. Interestingly, Jungkook also lived in the same district as them just a few meters away so they would all go together except Yoongi who was going to Gangnam.

They all parked their things into the car. Once that was done, they entered and drove off. Taehyung and Jimin sat together at the back seat both silent.

Through out the drive, the only ones that spoke were Jungkook and Yoongi while the other two didn't say a single word not even to each other. It was awkward as Taehyung kept fumbling with his fingers.

The drive to the bus station seemed too far but they eventually arrived and bought their tickets ready to depart. Before they left, Yoongi held Jungkook kissing him for almost five minutes before letting him go and whispering to him. Then they hugged for another minute and Taehyung was tempted to yell at them but he held back his intentions.

He didn't know why but after last night, the thought of seeing two couples showing their love for each other right to his face annoyed him. He turned towards Jimin but found that the latter wasn't even looking at the scene. He was looking down at his feet deeply absorbed in whatever it was that he was thinking of.

Taehyung sighed deeply. The couple had finished displaying their PDA. Yoongi turned and waved at them before leaving in his own car. Taehyung approached Jungkook and saw there were tears in his eyes.

"It's going to be okay" he whispered.

Jungkook sniffed. "I hope so. I don't know how long I'm going to be able to stay without him. I miss him already"

Taehyung stroke his shoulder. "It's okay. You'll be okay"

Jimin walked over to them. "The bus is leaving" he whispered in a grave voice.

They nodded and boarded the bus. It wasn't that filled up even though it was summer and Taehyung liked that. He wasn't in the mood to deal with a crowd. He and Jungkook sat together at the back while Jimin sat at the front two seats away.

They were one hour away and Taehyung was still staring at Jimin's back absorbed in his thoughts of yesterday night when he felt a tap at his shoulder. He regained his composure and looked at Jungkook. The latter smiled.

"What's going on between you and Jimin?"

Taehyung ducked his head avoiding his eyes.

"I have no idea what you're talking about"

Jungkook scoffed. "Don't pretend with me. I have watched you guys through out this trip. I saw your little adventure with Hoseok. I know the three of you are stuck in one ridiculous love triangle. Before then, you seemed normal, happy but now....you just look absolutely miserable... tell me what happened"

Taehyung didn't know how to begin but he knew he had to get this out of his chest or he was just going to explode so he started.

"Yesterday night. Jimin and I...we kissed"

Jungkook gasped. "OMG...you both kissed?"

Taehyung nodded. "Yes we did. It was so beautiful, pure and natural but it left me with a strange feeling. It was a feeling I had felt before. The feeling I got three years ago when my first love kissed me"

"That's what's bothering me. Jimin was drunk when he kissed me so he passed out right after and this morning, he's been behaving weird, not talking to me..."

Jungkook chuckled. "Maybe he's shy and embarrassed. I told you he likes you. This just proves it. So why don't you talk to him about it?"

"No way!" Taehyung shouted, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. Embarrassed, he lowered his voice. "What if he doesn't remember because he was drunk, then I'll be the one looking like a fool"

Jungkook sighed. "Well it's better than the both of you giving each other the silent treatment"

Taehyung sighed. "I still can't forget that kiss. I can never forget it. It's stuck right here in my mind. The feeling from that kiss felt so familiar with the one I received from my first love. It's driving me insane. There's no way that Jimin and my first love are the same person...I'd like to think it's just a coincidence"

Jungkook chuckled. "Why are you running?"

"Is it really that bad that he is?"

There was silence. Taehyung was speechless. He didn't know what to say to that.

"I don't know how you will do it but you have to find out if he's the one. You can kiss him again and if you feel the same way then just straight out ask him. I don't think he'll be able to deny it"

Taehyung thought hard about it. Jungkook was right but getting Jimin to kiss him again, he wondered how that was going to happen.

They finally arrived. Jungkook took a cab to his own home while Jimin and Taehyung decided to take a stroll since their houses wasn't far.

The silence was unsettling but Taehyung wanted nothing more than to remain in the other's presence but he knew he had to go. He turned to Jimin and planted a smile on his face.

"So...we are going to stay in touch won't we?"

Jimin smiled and nodded. "Yeah...of course. No one's going to keep me from seeing you not even our parents. I'll find a way for us to hang out. Don't worry"

Taehyung smiled. They had finally reached their neighbor hood. The familiar atmosphere brought back so many memories. They stood at a vantage point where they could see both their houses standing beside each other.

"So I'll be going now!" Taehyung whispered, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks.

"Let's chat at night okay" Jimin said.

Taehyung nodded but then that troubling thought appeared in his mind. He gained a little courage, ready to confront the situation.

"Jimin.... there's something I want to ask you..."

But he was interrupted by a sing song voice a few meters from them.

"Jimin! Jiminah! Park Jimin"

The two of them turned and saw three people approaching them. Two boys and a girl. They were dressed quite roughly with tattoos and piercings all over their bodies. Taehyung recognized them as Jimin's group of deliquent friends who followed him around exacting different kinds of atrocities. The four of them were quite popular in the neighborhood for their philandering ways. They did drugs and frequently partied together at night clubs. Jimin and the young girl Lala had an off and on thing going on between them.

Jimin stiffened as soon as he saw them. He side eyed Taehyung and noticed how his face turned pale.

"Um guys..." He stuttered.

The girl Lala jumped on him peppering kisses on his face. Her hair was parked in two pony tails she had dyed it pink.

"Oh my mochi...mochi. I missed you so much"

"Missed you too" Jimin said causing Taehyung to roll his eyes.

The other two guys glanced at Taehyung and Jimin.

"Yah...you both came back together?" One of them named Soon young said smiling mischeviously.

"Don't tell me you both are attending the same school" the other called Jay said.

Then the two boys laughed loudly.

"We should have known you'd go chasing after Taehyungie as usual" Jay laughed.

Soon Young joined in the laughter leaving Taehyung red in the face. Lala didn't seem impressed and just grabbed Jimin's arms pouting as she shook her two pony tails.

"Come with us, we have a lot to talk about" she said secretly eyeing Taehyung who scoffed.

"But I just got back. Can't it wait?"

Lala frowned. "No it can't"

The other two boys simply smiled at him.

"I'll chat you up" Jimin shouted towards him as he was being dragged away by the others.

Taehyung watched them as they walked away. He could see how happy and relaxed he seemed in their presence. Suddenly, he remembered it all now. This was his true fear. This part of him. Jimin's life style. His friends, the kind of people who he mingled with. They were a part of his past and it will be difficult for him to get rid of them. He wouldn't even be able to if he wanted to. There was no way Taehyung could mix in especially not with his parents expectations of him.

He took a deep breath and walked towards his house. It took him another fifteen minutes before he pressed the door bell.

Immediately, the door opened and his mother Mrs Kim stood at the door way wearing a blank look on her face.

"You finally decided to return home" She said with both arms crossed across her chest.

"So happy to see you too Mom" He said with sarcasm as he entered the house dragging his feet behind him.

"Yeobo! Taehyung's home" His mom shouted and a huge tall man entered into the living room. He stopped and stared at him.

"Son, where were you this past week"

Taehyung shook his head. "I'm sorry. I just went to have a good time together with my friends this past week after studying so hard this semester. I'm allowed to do that right?"

The Kims looked at each other. "We see no problem with that as long as it's not with that vagabond Jimin" Mr Park mentioned.

"You still hate him?"

Mrs Kim spoke "We don't hate him. We were good friends with his family once but anyone who will cause a hindrance to your future is best kept at a distance"

"Of course. Can I go now? I feel really tired"

"Yeah... you do that but make sure you come down later"

Taehyung nodded. "Okay thanks"

He felt his parents eyes on him as he left and he just knew that they were going to talk about him behind his back. He went to his room. It was cleaned up and arranged. Taehyung knew his mom did it. They were both good people but they were too obsessed with him having a good future. He could understand why they wanted him far away from Jimin but this was his life. Though, it has been years since they knew that, since they recognized the existence of their son Kim Taehyung.

They were having dinner together. His parents were asking him about his studies and he answered straight forwardly. They also asked him about his friends. He told them about Jungkook and a few of his study buddies but left out Jimin and the brotherhood.

"So you and Jimin don't see each other even though you're both attending the same University" Mr Kim asked with a hint of suspicion in his eyes.

Taehyung drank lots of water trying hard to maintain a vague expression. "Yeah...we don't talk at all. We see each other and pass by"

The lie was too much to handle that he coughed out a mouthful of water and Mrs Kim Immediately grabbed a napkin and started cleaning him up.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine mom" Taehyung answered. At that moment, a car blaring loud music passed by the house. From the window, they could see what was going on at the next house.

Mr and Mrs Kim frowned as they saw Jimin climb out of the car waving at the others inside.

"Speaking of the devil, he's back" Mrs Kim said.

"That family keeps deteriorating everyday. His father keeps playing the lottery, spending the little money he gets and failing every time. He's such a looser" Mr Kim said.

Mrs Kim scoffed "And Mrs Park, keeps selling things off one by one to keep up with their fake life style. What a pathetic little family. It's good that you don't associate with them"

Taehyung said nothing. He silently ate his food. He wanted to tell them to mind their own business. It was sad to see how his parents had grown repulsed by the entire Park family. How would they feel if they discover that their only child was developing feelings for their son. It would turn into a disaster.

The Kims shook their heads as the car that had dropped Jimin drove away still blaring loud music.

********

Jimin entered his house and was greeted with an empty space. There was only one cushion and a big floor mat in the living room. Even their TV seemed to have disappeared. His heart dropped and he felt like sinking to his knees but when he saw his two younger ones run up to him with cheerful faces, he felt better.

They hugged him tight. The youngest a girl was only six years old and the second born a boy was twelve.

"I missed you so much" His sister cried and he lifted her playing with her cheeks as he balanced her on his hips. He noticed that his siblings had lost a lot of weight and he wanted to scream at his parents. If he wasn't around, couldn't they handle the affairs of the family? How could they shamelessly place the burden of their responsibilities on his young shoulders?

His parents appeared before him lingering in the living room not daring to come any closer. When he saw their haggard and worn out expression, his heart softened. He dropped his sister.

"What happened here?" He asked.

His parents looked at each other nervously. "Son, you just came back. why don't you rest first then eat...." Mrs Park said

"I'm fine. I ate outside" Jimin said in a low voice.

There was silence. Mrs Park immediately ushered the other kids inside their rooms while they spoke to Jimin alone.

They all sat down to talk and Jimin asked again.

"What happened here?"

"Some debt collectors came asking for their money so we had to sell off some things to pay them off"

Jimin's eyes turned red. "Some things? You sold off everything. Why didn't you tell me?"

Mr Park lowered his head "You have done a lot already. I'm the head of this house hold but I made you take on my responsibilities. We were ashamed so we couldn't bother you again and force you back into your old life"

Mrs Park gulped. "We are sorry for being terrible parents. We knew you were doing horrible things to take care of the family. We just closed our eyes and let it happen because we were benefiting from it but after you were arrested and everyone found out the truth about the fake life we often led, we became the butt of everyone's joke. It became really hard"

Mr Park added. "We realized just how terrible we were towards you so we decided to start doing things properly. Your mother is going for counseling to help with her shopaholic tendency. She's now working as a house keeper for a rich family"

His father bit his lips "I restarted my carpentry business"

Jimin eyed them "Are you still playing the lottery?"

"I can't stop son"

At that, Jimin sighed but his father went on "But I'm only doing it because i hope one day, I'll be lucky and then, we can finally have a good life"

Mrs Park grabbed his hands. "We are only trying to make amends for everything"

Jimin shook his head. "Amends? Why can't I believe you?"

The couple looked at each other again. "We can understand your doubts. The only thing we want is for you to leave everything to us"

Jimin didn't know what to think. He didn't believe them. He couldn't believe them. Could his parents really change after everything they had done? It was hard to believe but the only thing he could do was watch them... for now

He went to his room and saw it was nearly empty. Only a sleeping bag was rolled to one side on the wall. He sighed to hold in his emotions then took a quick shower, dressed and laid down on his sleeping bag to sleep.

He remembered that he was going to chat Taehyung up so he sat up on the sleeping bag and sent a message.

Hey

Within seconds, he received a reply.

"Hey you!

Are you sleepy

Not yet. I saw you coming back just now. My parents were complaining about the loud music from your friends' car

Don't mind Jay and Soonyoung. They dragged me to a club.

Are you sure they dragged you? You didn't want to go?

Maybe

You'll never change

How are your parents?

Pretty much the same. Still overbearing. How about yours?

They sold almost everything in the house

What?

Yes! No kidding. I'm lying on a sleeping bag right about now because they sold my bed.

That's really something. I'm so sorry

It's alright but the funny thing is they say they have changed. That they want to be better parents. My mom is going counseling and working as a house keeper. My dad has started carpentry again

Really?

Yeah...I don't know for now but I'm just going to watch and see. People don't change that easily"

Why do you say that? I'd like to believe people can change. I'd like to trust them"

Jimin thought about it. Could he also be able to change?

"Maybe you're right. Fingers crossed"

They talked deep into the night. None of them brought up what happened the previous night. They eventually said goodnight to each other and slept off right after.

Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed. Lots of love.