It came as a disappointment to Yoongi and Jimin that both boys had to part ways late that afternoon. However Yoongi had received a call from his father asking if the boy could help him with something again, and Jimin had soon after gotten a text from his brother saying he wanted to talk. And Jimin, for one, wasn't about to pass this up.

He didn't know what it could be about. He only had ideas. Whatever it was, though, Jimin wanted to be there. He honestly felt like the cracks in his and Jihyun's relationship had been mended, and now the younger didn't have to feel so anxious about being around him.

As they stood outside the door to Jimin's house Yoongi slowly and sadly released his boyfriend from a hug. "Text me when you can, okay, Jimin?"

"I will."

"I'll see you tomorrow. Love you."

"Love you, too."

It felt so natural already. Yet, still did Jimin's heart swoon at the words. He watched with loving eyes as Yoongi made his way down the sidewalk in the direction of his house, turning around and waving once he reached the end of the block.

Jimin waved back, then went into his house.

A gentle quietness hung in the air. Leaving his shoes by the door, Jimin made his way into the kitchen, only realizing once he saw his brother sitting alone at the table that he still had on Yoongi's sweater.

"You're looking awfully bright today."

Jimin offered a nervous little smile.

"That your boyfriend's?"

"Yeah," Jimin replied as he pulled out a chair to sit down. Boyfriend. "I asked to borrow it for today."

"Kinda suits you. More natural, ya know?"

It felt so relieving to hear. On the inside, Jimin grinned with happiness at his brother's comment. On the outside he just nodded and breathed a soft thank you.

For a moment Jihyun remained silent, stirring his coffee as he stared down at it with inscrutable eyes. Jimin watched him. And he waited patiently. Surely, the man had more to say than simply complimenting his little brother's outfit for the day - granted, that did mean a lot to him, and Jimin wouldn't have complained if that were all it was. But he knew better.

"How was your day at school?"

"Good," Jimin replied.

"Did anyone give you a hard time?"

"Not really, no. I got some weird stares but they didn't really bother me." The boy shrugged, then thought back fondly on the hug he'd shared with his friends earlier that day. "It was a good day."

"Good. I'm glad."

The faintest of smiles graced Jihyun's lips. He hasn't raised his head yet. And Jimin didn't want to believe it, but it almost seemed as though his brother was ashamed to.

"Jihyun, are you okay?"

"Perfectly fine," he said, glancing at the younger for a second so as to reassure him. "Didn't sleep well last night, guess I'm feelin' the effects a little late, maybe. But it's nothing. Don't worry."

"Well, what did you want to talk to me about?"

This question earned Jimin his brother's silence again. More prolonged this time, and the younger felt a wave of unease wash over his heart briefly. Jihyun hardly ever showed a quiet or solemn side. And it never failed to raise Jimin's concern.

"A few years ago," Jihyun began after some time, "you know, that day I punched my friend in the face and broke off contact with him..."

He paused as a heavy cloud seemed to settle over the room.

"How much of our conversation did you hear, Jimin?"

He hadn't expected this. Nervously, Jimin dug into his head and pulled out his memories of that terrible day. "Not much," he answered in earnest. "I just remember hearing a loud noise and I came to the staircase and saw you holding him by his collar with a bruise already on his cheek..." Jimin swallowed his breath. "...and then you yelled at him for hiding that he was gay."

"Yeah, well that wasn't everything that happened."

Jimin stopped. He stared at his brother but his brother stared down at his hands.

"I didn't punch him because he was gay, Jimin. I punched him because he got a boyfriend and didn't tell me until he came out."

It didn't register at first what Jihyun had implied by this. Luckily, though, he elaborated without Jimin having to ask.

"I never even suspected it," the older continued, his voice low and reflective. "He never showed any signs really that would have hinted at it...never reacted much to male actors when we watched shows together or even gave attention to the guys at our school. I mean, he was always a fan of skinship, didn't care much for personal space when it came to me but it was natural, you know, we were close friends..."

Jihyun pursed his lips. His eyes narrowed at his coffee cup.

"I never would have believed it if someone else told me he was gay. Never. And I never considered myself gay, either. I still don't. It was just this thing I had solely for him. I struggled with accepting it for the longest time, and even more so realizing I'd have to get over it because there was no way he was gay."

Jimin couldn't bring himself to interrupt his brother, but his compressed heart had so much it wanted to say at that moment. He could see the gradual decline in Jihyun's expression. Sinking with every word he spoke.

"So it ruined me that day," he said, "when Sehun said to me, 'Jihyun, I have a boyfriend.' Because it was then it really hit me just how much I screwed up. Waiting too long. Not telling him. Even if I'd had a chance at any point, I screwed it up by not speaking up sooner. It broke me. Snapped every nerve in my body and just let loose all the pent-up frustration I had with myself. On him..."

Bitterness. Regret. Surprisingly, his voice held steady but that didn't alter how utterly torn it sounded.

"I couldn't face him. I could never face him after that. But I think it's for the best Sehun never has to see me again. He deserves better company that I ever could be."

"No..."

Those words were his breaking point. The heart-wrenching acceptance of something Jimin didn't agree with at all, the look of defeat and guilt plastered on Jihyun's miserable face. Jimin tried to blink away his tears but they only fought back as his brother looked across the table at him.

"Jimin, don't-"

"Jihyun, that's not fair..." He sniffled, lifting his arm to wipe his eyes with the sleeve of Yoongi's sweater. "Don't say that...please don't say that about yourself-"

"I'm right, though."

"You're not!" The younger exclaimed in protest. "Sehun loved your company, he loved being around you, you were important to him-"

"And yet I gave him a bruised jaw."

"Jihyun..."

He couldn't take the sight of Jimin crying. Not again. Not so soon. Not for his sake. "Stop wasting your tears on me, kid-"

"They're not a waste, shut up," Jimin sobbed. "You're my brother, and I don't want you to go around thinking you deserve to be stepped on by yourself for the rest of your life."

Jihyun tried to smile but his lips quivered instead. He outstretched his hand to pat Jimin's head. "Are you giving me a pep talk, Jimmie?"

Jimin pouted in response and sniffled again.

"What?" Jihyun chuckled.

"Talk to him."

"I can't."

"You can!"

"He's not gonna want to speak to me after I broke off contact with him for years."

"You don't know that..."

Heartbroken. Jihyun could feel how genuinely heartbroken his little brother was about all this, and that only made him feel worse. But maybe that was for the better.

"You're right," he said with a forced smile. "I don't know that. Sometimes I think I know a lot of things but I've been proven wrong more times than I can count."

Jihyun used his thumb to wipe away a tear rolling down Jimin's cheek.

"I'm starting to think you're a lot wiser than I am, Jimmie."

"...so will you talk to him?"

"For you, I'll try."

*

He knew Sehun's apartment. Years ago, shortly before the incident, Sehun had told Jihyun about the apartment he moved into and encouraged his friend to visit whenever he had the chance. Of course, Jihyun never got around to doing that. But now he stood in front of what he hoped was still Sehun's apartment.

For all he knew the man could have moved out by this point.

And he thought to himself, if that turned out to be the case, it was karma at work.

Jihyun rang the doorbell. He didn't hear any voices, but within just a few seconds footsteps from inside the apartment began to approach.

The door opened.

There stood a tall, slender man with dyed blonde locks, loose-fitting stylish clothing and a small tattoo on the back of his left hand. The tattoo was new. But everything else checked out.

"Jihyun...?"

He didn't say anything. He wouldn't even bring himself to look Sehun in the eye, but rather bowed in shamefacedness.

"Jihyun, what-...what are you doing here?"

"I'll leave soon, don't worry-"

"No, please don't."

It wasn't the response he expected. But still did Jihyun keep his head turned towards the ground.

"Jihyun, get up, c'mon, what're you doing-?"

"I'm sorry."

"...what?"

"I still love you. So I'm sorry about that, too."

The man standing just inside the apartment stood there for but a moment longer before reaching out to take Jihyun by his upper arm and urge him to stand upright. And he gave no warning before embracing him fully.

"That's a ridiculous thing to apologize for, Hyunie."

"It is when you're talking to a taken man."

"I broke up with that guy months after I started dating him, Jihyun."

"Oh...well, I'm sorry to hear that-"

"Don't be. Just come inside and we can talk."

"You really want to talk with me after what I did to you?"

"You really want me to just send you home after you just confessed your love to me?"

"...I mean, it's what I expected."

"Yeah, well we don't always get what we expect in life, now do we?"

"Yeah..."

Jihyun smiled softly as Sehun hugged him tighter.

"You're certainly right about that..."