It was mere seconds after Jimin got home that day that he received a text.

pastel boy:
you did good today :)
even tho you were shy about it
proud of youuu

He could have taken it as patronizing, or annoying, and because Jimin was Jimin, a part of him did take it that way. But he also took it positively. And he felt just a little bit happy. Even if he didn't admit it to himself, and certainly not to Yoongi, those words meant something to him.

me:
oh shut up..
u made a fool of me
and laughed at me

pastel boy:
in good fun :,(
I didn't mean it to offend u
didn't u enjoy it jimin?
just some lighthearted fun
and it benefited u
at least I'd like to think so

me:
...idk
could've been worse
I guess

pastel boy:
there ya go :)
I knew you could do it, Jimin

me:
yeah right...
and I wouldn't rly call what I did
well
succeeding

pastel boy:
baby steps are big if u look at them
from a small and humble standpoint
from an ant's perspective, a child parting their lips is like a chasm opening

me:
geez calm down Socrates...

pastel boy:
okay
ngl I laughed at that

Laugh. Jimin's mind replayed the scene of Yoongi's laughter back at the coffee shop, the strangely pleasant noise that filled his ears and the adorable sight of that gummy smile which Jimin had only seen once before.

Adorable. He couldn't deny it. It was downright adorable. Yoongi was absolutely adorable and Jimin couldn't stand it. It made it harder to glare at him, to even stay mad at him.

Even imagining Yoongi laughing made Jimin's heart flutter.

It couldn't have just been him, though, he thought. Right? Yoongi's laugh was cute, just like him, that's all there was to it. It had to be a normal reaction. Or maybe it was because Jimin was still getting used to this whole "being around the pastel boy without having the urge to pick on him" thing. Or something along those lines.

me:
u rly enjoying poking fun at me...

pastel boy:
can we swap the words
"poking fun at" with
"having fun with"?

me:
??

pastel boy:
???

me:
>:/

pastel boy:
:D

me:
ur so annoying...

pastel boy:
right
we should hang out again

me:
I'm not flirting with strangers again

pastel boy:
lol
no we'll put flirting on hold
u got in some practice with that already
I was thinking just something like normal friends would do, like watching a movie or something

me:
friends?

pastel boy:
aren't we?

Jimin's breath got caught in his throat.

pastel boy:
u kinda avoided the question before
wasn't gonna say anything buuut
I wanna be your friend, jimin
can't I?
or do u still have a grudge against me or smth

me:
no...no it should be the other way around right??
why don't u have a grudge against me??

pastel boy:
cuz for whatever reason I think holding a grudge would hurt more than forgiving u
that is
if u feel sorry

me:
I
do
feel sorry...

pastel boy:
can I hear it

me:
I'm sorry...

pastel boy:
lol no I meant hear it
hold on I'll call u

"What?"

Jimin's phone began to ring and he nearly fell out of bed. He tried to decline the call but misclicked and pressed the answer call button instead.

Oh, whatever.

"Why did you feel the need to c-"

"I wanna hear you say it."

Jimin pursed his lips.

"I'm not trying to be difficult here," the boy insisted, "but at the same time I think I deserve this much, don't I? And besides, I know you still feel guilty. So this could help ease that."

Jimin blushed. His voice...

"I'm...sorry for hurting you, Min Yoongi."

Jimin couldn't see it, didn't know it, but Yoongi was smiling on the other end of the phone.

"It's okay,"  he said softly. "Consider it all in the past. And that nickname, too."

"P-...pastel boy?"

"Yeah. I like hearing you call me Yoongi a lot better. It's a nice change. So...friends?"

It still felt bizarre. But Jimin gave in.

"Okay...friends..."

▫️▫️▫️

"Yo, Jimin, can I ask you somethin'?"

It was Monday morning of a new week, and one of Jimin's classmates caught him just as he was preparing to sit down at his desk. Confused and annoyed at the same time, Jimin faced the boy and quirked an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

"You've been acting different lately," the boy, Sojung pointed out, eyeing Jimin's expression.

"Doesn't concern you. Piss off."

"No, for real, though!" Sojung whisked himself around and collapsed at the desk behind Jimin's, which wasn't his. Jimin groaned as he, too, sat down. "Like, you haven't bothered that pastel boy in what seems like weeks! What's up with that?"

"Again, doesn't concern you. Piss off."

"Don't tell me you've gone soft now."

"As if," Jimin scoffed. He turned around for a brief moment only to find Sojung with a skeptical look on his face.

"I'm not the only one who's noticed," the boy said in a quieter voice. "A couple of my friends asked me about it, too, 'cus they know I'm in your class or whatever."

Jimin felt a twinge in his chest. "It doesn't concern them, either," he snapped. "Tell them to piss off."

"I'm just sayin'...someone as infamous as you draws attention, Jimin."

With that final comment, Sojung rose to his feet to make his way over to his usual seat at the front of the room. And Jimin tried to return to his earlier train of thought, dismayed to find it had gone off tracks thanks to the topic Sojung had so kindly brought up.

He didn't consider it. That his actions—or, lack of actions, rather—would be an area of discussion. But then Jimin remembered that people were nosy, and annoying, and they always seemed to love bothering him about things that had nothing to do with them. It was Jimin's fault, really, and he knew that. He stood out as much as Yoongi did, just in his own way. People grew accustomed to seeing him harassing the pastel boy, and some even cheered it on, those heartless scumbags who Jimin didn't think much of at the time, because he was just like them.

But now that Jimin and Yoongi were...friends, there was no way on earth the former would be actively targeting the latter at school. But with how many people "knew" him and his behavior, it was highly unlikely they would all just shrug it off or even accept "I got tired of it" as an excuse.

Jimin tried really hard not to think about it. Maybe he would get lucky and it would all blow over before it got too serious.

Maybe. Hopefully. It had better...

▫️▫️▫️

"Namjoon, be honest with me...has anyone asked you about me recently?"

"In what regard?" Asked the blonde, taking a bite of his chicken stir fry. "Like, four girls asked me if you had a girlfriend outside of the school. And I laughed at every. Single. One of them. Did that ruin my chances of getting any of them to be my girlfriend? More than likely. But do I regret it? Absolutely not."

Jimin deadpanned. "...you really are the worst human being on this planet, aren't you?"

"A bit harsh, but probably." He chuckled. Jimin rolled his eyes.

"I didn't mean that anyway. I meant..." Hesitating, Jimin made a subtle glance towards Yoongi's table, startled to find that the red-haired Hoseok was looking back at him, coldly. Jimin quickly turned back. What the f**k.

"...you meant what?"

Easy. Just relax, Jimin. "Like has anyone...I don't know, commented on my behavior...?"

Namjoon finished chewing his food, watching his friend who stared down at his hands. "...yeah." Jimin looked up immediately.

"What did they say?"

" 'That friend of yours has been weirdly quiet, hasn't he? Ooh, I wonder if he's gay-' "

Jimin reached across the table and smacked the side of Namjoon's head.

"They did not say that last part, you sick jerk."

"The first part, they did, though."

Jimin tensed, looking down once again.

"...Chim, relax," Namjoon said with a sigh. "What on earth could they possibly draw from you being quiet? Everyone's quiet sometimes."

"Yeah, but people gossip," Jimin pointed out bitterly. "A classmate made a comment today asking me if I'd suddenly gone soft. It's noticeable, Joon."

"Tell them to piss off, then."

"I did." Jimin groaned quietly, briefly resting his head in his hands. "It's karma. Karma come back to punch me in the gut. It's just happening at an agonizing rate."

Namjoon could see, moreover hear, the genuine worry present in his friend, and though a part of him did think it was a bit irrational, he could still understand why Jimin would be overthinking the matter. He gave the boy an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

"It's gonna be okay, ChimChim. I swear. If the situation blows outta proportion, you can swing by and give me an 'I told you so' punch to the arm. Sound good?"

"...I'll hold you to that, Kim Namjoon."

"And I'll stick by my words, Park Jimin."

▫️▫️▫️

Seconds after school let out for the day, Jimin received a text from Yoongi.

pastel boy:
is today good for the movie?

me:
movie?

pastel boy:
yeah remember I suggested watching a movie?

me:
well
yeah I do
what's the catch tho

pastel boy:
lol what do u mean

me:
first it was talking about boys
then it was practice flirting
what's the movie got to do with anything

pastel boy:
it's just a movie :/
well, it is related to ur situation in a sense
love Simon, idk if you've heard of it
but I mean that's not why I asked u

me:
?

pastel boy:
ffs Jimin what's weird about friends hanging out??
I mean if u don't want to just say 'no' geez

me:
I didn't say that
I just don't get u...

pastel boy:
so movie?

Jimin's thumbs hovered over his phone for a moment.

me:
fine wtvr

pastel boy:
'fine wtvr'
gosh ur so sweet lol
I'll see u soon then bye

He still felt uncertain, but Jimin decided he wouldn't back out of it. For now, things were still mild. And while they were mild he would continue to gently push himself out of his comfort zone.

But he was being observed even more than he knew. By Hoseok, to a great extent, but to the greatest extent, the quiet and reserved Jeon Jungkook.

The chocolate-haired boy even watched as Jimin left school that day.