Like the rhythm of a drum, his heartbeat was echoing in his ears, loud enough to make the whispers around him something that could not break through his consciousness. Under the claws of his memories, he remained silent in his corner, looking out the window even though his orbs weren't taking in the stilled view of the abandoned-looking parking lot.

Every passing moment made him feel slightly tighter on his chest as DongMin had driven them to the location that they had sent him through the phone, after he had spoken with whoever had called him and had followed your words precisely, managing to arrange a meet-up. 

A meeting Jimin and You obviously could not miss out, even though part of him wanted to run away for he didn't feel ready. Certainly, he wanted to know who might be behind all these attempts to harm him but if that someone is someone as dear as Jin was to him, he knew he would have prefered to be ignorant forever than have the image he had for him break down.

If he was just one more lie, then for Jimin surely he would be the only lie, he would like to keep alive forever. Because, what was he to become without him? What is he supposed to do, if Jin is truly the one that wants to end his career and had been betraying him behind his back? Those questions were terrifying to him and all he found himself doing inwardly was denying such options. 

It was impossible for him to do such a thing for he knew Jimin's feelings better than anyone. If he had an issue with something Jin would have talked with him instead of scheming something like this behind his back. He was the only person he could ever trust blindly, so how was he now supposed to not do that?

From a young age, he had always been around him, like a figure of an older brother he didn't have biologically. Together they used to play catch in the garden of his house whenever he was to visit and they used to share their food without anyone asking for some from the other. Like an unspoken rule, they cared and looked after one another yet Jimin couldn't deny that he most likely was a burden on Jin even back then. 

He couldn't bring himself to blame him if he truly had grown tired and wanted to break free from him for he certainly understood the weight he had on him, but the fact that he understood didn't mean that he wouldn't be hurt by such an outcome. For he was his best friend, someone he loved and as such wanted to truly love him back.

Loving someone requires bravery for your love is a key left in the palm of the other individual that gives them access to your heart. Yet we are not always aware of that for from the moment we come to life, we have loved someone. Your mother, your father, your siblings. They all have a key to your heart and the power to shatter it completely, for the more prominent your love, the bigger the pain will be. The more you love someone the more powerful they become related to you. Why do we forget, that no one is worthy of complete trust for no matter how close we are with someone, we are all humans? We are all made off an essence of egoism.

And he was no different even though he was someone that Jimin never doubt nor regretted loving. Even at that very moment, that he was sitting in the back seat of his van, hidden behind those black tinted windows - as DongMin was outside, some steps distance from the car, facing the one that had come up to meet with him- he continued sinking himself in denial in an attempt to protect Jin's name within him.

The truth didn't take long to appear before his eyes, however, making him wish at that instant to become blind.

Unlike him, anyhow, you observed with interest and intensity for you knew that you couldn't afford to blow this up for from this meeting you could get to the end of it and find who was after everything yet when you had decided to come along at this moment, you definitely weren't expecting to see Jiya being the one that came off from a car that appeared after a ten minutes wait that you had there.

"Miss Jiya...how come you are here?" DongMin couldn't hide his visible surprise at seeing her before him as she finally halted her steps, with a serious facial expression on her face.

"Since I came personally, I hope you understand that there's no chance anyone is gonna let you back out of this deal. You either work with us well from now on or..."She threw her eyes around as she spoke, making DongMin follow her gaze only to take notice of the fact that this parking lot had plenty of weird stains on the concrete. Large darker splashes that gave him the impression of dried blood. A thought that had his sense of fear awake within him, even though as he met her gaze again, his mind started denying to itself the fact that someone like her, could harm him.

DongMin knew Jiya, he had seen her so many times before in his life. Yes, they never had any kind of important conversations of any kind, however, never in his life did the thought that he should fear her had crossed his head until that moment. 

"What...What is going on Miss Jiya...of all people...I don't understand." 

"You don't really have to understand. You just do as I say and you will get out of this unharmed and paid well." Was all she uttered to him as a response as she casually dig in her back and got out of it an envelope which she reached out and DongMin reluctantly took in his grasp.

"This is your first payment. Come up with something that could make Jimin quit his career or end it for him the sooner you can. And make sure you are smart about it. We can no longer play around." She ordered coldly yet those words started ticking off someone other than DongMin who they were meant for.

She had lied to him. She had used him. She had knowledge of his emotions and his state yet she was still trying to do this to him. He didn't quite understand why but the realisation had Jimin instantly feeling very angered towards her.

His facial expression had become so fierce as he remained still in his place, making you keep stealing glances at his side profile, worried if he was hurt or anything along those lines, yet all he seemed was offended. There was a glimpse of madness in his eyes, that unfortunately, you didn't grasp in time as before you even got the chance to get a hold of him, he had opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle, furiously making his presence noticeable.

DongMin and Jiya had turned their attention towards the vehicle once the abrupt sound had echoed in the atmosphere and they both for different reasons were left in shock as Jimin walked up to them, and slightly pushed DongMin out of his way while you rushed to follow after him.

Jimin stared at Jiya without saying anything for a bit, watching her drown in the fear that his appearance had woke in her and the dread that was looming over her head for she couldn't afford to mess up because her fall meant someone else's fall too.

"Jimin...Let me explain." The seriousness and confidence she was emitting some seconds ago seemed to have vanished from her as she spoke again, and Jimin just tilted his head to the side, looking at her with that fearing gaze that had her gulping down with difficulty.

"I will ask you only one question and you better tell me the truth." He leaned closer to her making her feel as if he was ready to cut her head off if she was to dare and oppose him so she just nodded softly while she kept the eye contact stable. "Is Jin involved in this?"

It was such a simple question that rolled out of his lips yet it had cut her breath at once and had made her brain start malfunctioning for she had to give him a reply and do it soon, but it wasn't easy for her to make up her mind. Should she tell him truly or not?

"Jimin, please-" Her attempt to escape the reply with a more settling answer came to a short end as she felt Jimin's hands take hold of the collar of her shirt and yanking her towards him strongly enough to make her hold her breath and shut her eyes tight.

"Jimin! Please calm down." You couldn't help but interfere at the sight, for he was looking really mad at her and the way he had taken hold of her made you scared that he may harm her but your words were something Jimin intentionally ignored at that moment for he wanted the truth out of her and he knew well that she wasn't someone that would give that to him, easily if it was in the expense of her beloved boyfriend.

"Answer me!" He growled between his gritted teeth and Jiya couldn't help but feel her heartbeat rise as she opened her eyes and met his again.

"N-No...No." Her words escaped faintly from her lips yet Jimin didn't let go of her for a bit more as his eyes had grown wide for her response had made him understand that she was lying and that had felt like a hummer that had hit him right in his chest and had penetrated his body momentarily.

His grips got lighter on her soon after and she escaped, taking a few steps back as her heavy breathing echoed in the atmosphere while he seemed frozen in time, looking at nothing, until you stepped in his field of vision.

"Jimin, please collect yourself. Let's hear her out." You suggested to him as you placed your hands at the sides of his shoulders yet his gaze avoided yours and he stepped back, to get away from your hold.

"It's not! It's not him. You have to believe me!" Jiya rose her voice, as her desperation was taking the best of her for she was well aware that this could ruin Jimin's and Jin's relationship and this was something she knew that Jin wouldn't want to happen.

"Call him...tell him to come here," Jimin uttered as he turned around and headed back towards his vehicle yet Jiya's question word made him snap at her once again as he abruptly turned around and yelled. "CALL HIM DAMN IT! RIGHT NOW!" 

She had never heard him raise his voice before and that somehow had her hurrying to do as he told her, but as soon as she had her phone in her hands and had found Jin's contact, Jimin walked up to her and snatched it from her hands, only to crash it after on the pavement rather forcefully. An action that left everyone stunned in place, and allowed only his heavy breathing to echo in the atmosphere.

His body was slightly trembling as his wide eyes kept looking at the shattered pieces of the device as if he had just saved himself from death and in a way that was what he was trying to do. Fear had grasped him as soon as he saw her ready to call, for even though he wanted to know he was way more scared to do that.

"Shit!"He murmured under his breath as he left his head to look up briefly then allowed his hand to run through his hair in agony. 

"Let's go...let's leave and just pretend this never happened...I-" He started rumbling, making your gaze instantly soften on him at the realization that he was fighting with himself because he was scared of being hurt. 

Jin was someone important to him and you knew that by now and certainly, you had never doubted his intentions towards Jimin until he just mentioned his name and made you understand that Jimin had suspicions towards him. How could that possibly have made him feel? Wavering over someone so trustworthy as Jin was.

"Why...Why are you doing this to me...Jiya...I thought we were friends." He went on yet this time he appeared to be more collected and less angered than before with her as his voice spoke softly and his facial expression portrayed a sense of desperation that filled her with guilt.

"We are, we are friends but -...I...I am sorry." She struggled in her reply for despite her feeling eating her alive within there was something more important to her that she could not break just to keep Jimin's feelings intact.

"Please don't tell him anything. It's really not him, he doesn't know anything. Please don't let him know that I lied earlier at your house, I beg you. Please." Her eyes got filled with tears as her voice cracked while she hesitantly took steps closer to Jimin, and he just stared at her without saying a thing while in his mind he was battling if he really should believe her or not despite the fact that she had tried to deceive him twice in such a short time.

"It's not him...yet you lied for a reason that you want me to believe that it's not him...I will give you one last chance to tell me the truth and it better not be anything along those lines with your father cause we both know the truth on that." He took his decision despite the fact that part of him was ready to not trust anything that could possibly escape her lips.

"What I said before...maybe not all of it was true...but most of it is. I am being blackmailed and I don't know by whom and they send me here, to represent them after DongMin's request to meet with someone. I guess they were being suspiscious of his true intentions-" 

"What could someone possibly be holding against you that could make you turn against someone your dear boyfriend holds so important?" You couldn't help but interfere for even though you didn't know her much, you weren't planning to waste your time with her any further and stay put listening to her web another well though logical excuse.

"I...I made a mistake...I...have lied to him about something...I...used him." The words rolled out of her lips like poison for she hated herself admitting to the fact but she couldn't erase it.

She sure had kept it hidden, she had pushed it so far behind that she herself could never see it, but that didn't make it vanish. The truth lay there, as a ghost had veiled over her head, every time he was to claim that he loved her, every time she had felt like she loved him back. Jin had become someone important for Jiya, he had won her heart and she had truly fallen for him to the point that now she couldn't imagine her life without him by her side, but there existed something that could ruin their relationship and such as any other person in love, she had always been desperate, from keeping that from happening.

"What are you talking about?... You used him? For what?" Jimin portrayed his confusion all over his face as he certainly felt lost upon hearing her words for in his eyes, they had always been such a lovely couple. She had always seemed so in love with Jin and it was from the things Jimin felt reassured about because he thought that he would never have to worry, about his best friend having his heart broken.

"You better start being clear or else I swear I won't be this patient with you for long." He warned her as she fell silent, penetrated in her circle of fear and agony as she was placed in a difficult spot that was about to destroy her relationship with Jimin and let her relationship with Jin in the mercy of Jimin's heart.

"My first meeting with Jin wasn't a coincidence Jimin...I approached him, I planned it and no it wasn't because I was interested in him...I...was interested in you." She confessed, words that made Jimin's eyes grow wide as in his mind he realized what she was trying to say and it instantly made him want to perish.

"I used him, to get close to you...because I... used to like you, l was in -"

"Don't!....Don't say it!" He cut her off, unable to bare to hear one more word escape her lips, for those words had gripped him against the neck and were suffocating him. They had him pinned against a corner and soaked him in guilt and blame over the simple fact that he existed. For Jimin was aware of how much Jin loved her. How could he let him know now...that the one he loves, wanted him instead?

---To be continued...

(The number of times I have written and rewritten this~agh. I am still not fully satisfied but good enough for now I guess. I need to get on track.  See you tomorrow :) )