He still didn't want to go.

Even with Yoongi's encouragement, assurance, and insisting that this would be beneficial, possibly "clear some suspicions" or whatever, Jimin still felt he would much rather stay in his room. Or just hang out with Yoongi. No one else.

But alas, he had agreed. And so at just a little past eight o'clock Jimin was slipping on his leather jacket and preparing to head out the door, as the plan was to meet up at Yoongi's house and head to the party location together. And Jimin honestly had no idea what time the thing started, but he really wasn't too concerned about being there first. Or even on time, for that matter.

It was around 8:30 when he arrived at Yoongi's door. And he sent his friend a text, not wanting to knock and possibly disturb one of the boy's family members. So he just let Yoongi know he was outside waiting.

To his surprise he didn't have to wait long. Because apparently Yoongi had been waiting for him.

The door was opened, the boy stepped out, then the door was closed again. He turned around.

Black hair, either sprayed or a wig, Jimin didn't know, but that didn't really concern him, all he could focus on was that Yoongi looked. So. Hot.

It was like a completely different person. Not a trace of pastel, of the Yoongi Jimin had seen just earlier that day at school. He now had on a charcoal grey shirt underneath a leather jacket—which evidently wasn't Jimin's he asked to borrow, because Jimin was wearing his—a pair of tight-fitting, dark-blue jeans, and black, laced combat boots.

The bottom of his face was covered by a sickness mask. But by the crinkling in that boy's eyes Jimin could tell he was smiling.

"How do I look?"

Those words alone, slightly muffled due to the mask, caused Jimin's cheeks to become deeply stained by a regretful red hue. Because he, unlike Yoongi, wasn't wearing a mask. So there was nothing to hide it.

He turned his back to Yoongi. Jimin heard him utter a sigh. "I asked you how I look, and you're just gonna ignore me? Jimin, I'm wounded. You wounded me."

"You know how you look," Jimin said under his breath, "now let's go."

"No, I'm serious. I want your opinion. Does it look weird?"

"Different."

"Good different?"

What frustrated Jimin at the moment was that he couldn't tell if Yoongi were intentionally teasing him, or if he genuinely weren't confident about the look and wanted a second opinion. Either way Jimin really didn't want to have to turn around again.

"Jimin, c'mon, you can be honest with me if it looks weird on me." Yoongi put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Is it convincing, at least?"

As much as he hated it, he felt guilty ignoring Yoongi, so Jimin reluctantly turned around again, slowly, yet his heart practically lunged forward at the sight. He wished he had an excuse. An excuse to take Yoongi's face in his hands and kiss him right here.

He was so tempted to pull down that mask.

"So can I can a straight guy rating?"

Jimin made a face at him.

"You know, like, if you were straight, how would you rate me on a scale of 1-10?"

"...I dunno, a five?"

"Ouch. What about a gay guy rating?"

"Why does it matter??"

Yoongi gave an innocent shrug. "Your opinion matters to me."

Cute. Why is that cute?? "Well, it shouldn't. Now let's go."

He started walking, annoyed with Yoongi's behavior but more so how the boy was making him feel, but he was stopped once he felt his friend grab his arm. And he laughed—Yoongi, that is. Jimin was in no mood to laugh. Right now he just wanted to bury his face in a pillow. Better yet, a machete.

"Riyeon said she could give us a ride to what's-her-face's house," he briefly explained. "It's not that close to here. Walking might take forty-five minutes. Or something. I dunno, driving's quicker."

Jimin stared at him for a moment, felt himself blushing again, then tore his arm away. "Fine...is she gonna be ready s-"

As if on cue the door burst open, and who should appear there but the woman herself, proudly dressed in apparel uncannily similar to something Yoongi would wear on a daily basis. The boy in question spun around only to fire his sister a look of utter disgust.

"Who said you could wear my sweater?!"

"You're playing 'edgy boy' tonight," she replied innocently, sporting a smile as she showed off the bright yellow sweater which complimented her warm blonde hair and white dress, "so I'm playing 'happy summer girl'."

Yoongi was not amused.

"What? Can't I pretend, too?"

She couldn't help but laugh as her brother continued to stare judgmentally at her. Jimin, on the other hand, was simply nervous Riyeon would make teasing comments about the two boys that he wouldn't be able to shake off.

Thankfully, she didn't. Once the three had climbed into Riyeon's car, the entire drive was spent with music played at a somewhat loud but comfortable volume, and few words exchanged between the two siblings.

Jimin was spared from embarrassment. For now.

"Thanks for the ride, Riyeon. I guess you can borrow my sweater."

Riyeon smirked as Yoongi and Jimin both opened their car doors and were about to get out.

"You two lovebirds don't have too much fun now, okay?"

Jimin had just closed the door as these words were spoken, and he didn't have enough time to correct Riyeon before she drove off again. Yoongi sighed in great disappointment.

"She's a piece of work."

Jimin dug his hands into his pockets as he tried to push the thought aside. Surprisingly it wasn't too difficult, as now he and Yoongi were right outside Minseo's house and could already hear loud music and voices from inside, as well as from the backyard.

Yoongi noticed the orange-haired boy staring into space. Concernedly, he tapped his friend's arm—didn't say anything, but raised his brow once Jimin glanced at him.

"Fine, it's fine, we're already here." He shook his head. "Moreover, you need to change your name."

Yoongi blinked. "...I'm sorry?"

"I can't call you Yoongi," Jimin scoffed, "because then that would defeat the purpose of you dressing up like this and being here. So pick a name for yourself."

"Uh...Kihyun."

"Why Kihyun?"

"Cus it's cute."

Jimin stared at him blankly, then shook his head as he started towards the front door. Yoongi followed shortly behind. The former knocked, and seconds later the door was opened by some girl Jimin didn't recognize, but who seemed awfully happy to see him.

"Jimin! I didn't know you were gonna be here!"

"Me neither," he said, rolling his eyes. The girl stepped aside to let Jimin step inside—Yoongi, too, though at first she didn't notice him standing there. Once she did, her eyes grew wide and curious, turning immediately to Jimin with a questioning glance.

But he ignored her and continued walking into the house. There were too many people standing by the door. If he stayed there any longer, Jimin felt he'd get swallowed up, and that was the last thing he wanted.

So as he walked on, Yoongi followed, struggling in doing so.

The loud music being played was located outside, so inside, it was muffled, and frankly just obnoxious but no one else seemed bothered by it. In fact, not even Yoongi. But that was only because the song currently playing was one the boy didn't mind. While he followed Jimin's footsteps through the kitchen, out the back door and into the large backyard, he subtly bobbed his head to the music.

"...what are you doing?"

"It's Britney Spears. You like Britney Spears?"

Jimin scoffed.

Yoongi mimicked him.

"You're being immature."

"You're being a buzzkill."

"And keep your voice down, if anyone recognizes your voice then once again, that defeats the purpose of you being h-"

"Jimin!!"

He froze at the unexpected sound of his name being called. And it took a minute, but he registered who it was just a moment before his eyes caught sight of the voice's owner walking towards them.

Minseo. The girl whose party this was. Jimin felt his face go a little pale.

"Yoongi, don't even say a word."

"A word."

"Now is not the time for this."

"You're right. Jin's rubbing off on me, the little devil."

"Ssshh."

Minseo finally stepped up to them, a bright smile on her young-looking face. Long, wavy black hair fell in front of her shoulders, bangs crowning her dark brown eyes. She was small, even to Jimin, but everything about her was pretty, charming, from the cute dress she wore to her dimpled smile that reminded Jimin a bit too much of Namjoon.

"I'm so glad you're here, Jimin," Minseo said. She gazed at the orange-haired boy with fondness just pouring from her eyes. "I didn't think you would, to be honest with you, but I'm happy I was wrong."

"It was a last minute decision," Jimin said, struggling to make eye-contact. "That's why I'm a bit late."

"Oh, that's alright, getting to a party too early is boring anyway," she said with a quiet laugh. "What matters is that you're here. And-"

Her eyes drifted over to Yoongi who stood idly by, distracted by the next Britney Spears song that came on. Toxic. His favorite.

"Your friend?"

His internal singing snapped. Yoongi lifted his head, then looked at Jimin, who immediately replied to Minseo in his place.

"U-uh, this is Yoo—Kihyun."

"Yoo Kihyun?"

"Yes." He cleared his throat. His heartbeat was already beating uncomfortably fast. "He doesn't go to our school."

"Ah, that makes sense." She gave a nod. "I didn't recognize him. Are you guys close?"

"Really close," Yoongi answered quietly, earning him a firm slap to the arm. Luckily Minseo didn't think much of it, but rather chuckled at the two in lightheartedness.

"I'm a little surprised," she began, "to see you with someone else. I only ever see you with Namjoon and Yoongi and his friends nowadays. I know Namjoon's been your friend for a long time but when you started sitting at Yoongi's table at lunch, everyone was confused. He doesn't..." Minseo paused, then looked over her shoulder as though to see if he were standing there. "...he doesn't seem like the type you'd want to be around. I mean, I thought you hated him. Everyone did."

Jimin stared at the ground. With his heart lying restless in his chest, he had difficulty breathing steadily. His mind raced. Guilt resurfaced, and it spited him.

"I did," he replied almost absentmindedly, after a long while. "Then."

Yoongi turned a worried eye to him.

"But you know, I never really gave him a chance. Turns out...we had things in common."

This was where Yoongi's heart plummeted. And he expected Jimin to snap back into focus, to take back what he said and hurriedly clarify he was only joking, or at least clarify he didn't mean what he actually meant.

Minseo's expression was inscrutable.

So was Jimin's.

"Things in common, huh? That's why you...don't hate him anymore."

Neither Jimin nor Yoongi could hear the music at this point. This conversation, as abruptly as it had reached this point, seized absolutely 100% of their attention. And it caused Yoongi to internally panic, because he wasn't sure if there were something he was supposed to do to bail Jimin out of this situation, or if this were precisely where Jimin wanted to be.

"I didn't know that about you, Jimin," Minseo said in a soft voice, cracking an indescribable smile. "I thought you guys were polar opposites."

"Crazy how life works."

For a while after that, things were quiet. Minseo was soon dragged away from Jimin by her friends, thus leaving the boy alone again with Yoongi, who for what seemed like the longest time, didn't know what to say. He tried to figure out what was going on with Jimin, what had caused this sudden change in attitude, but he just couldn't. It had come out of nowhere.

They had gone to the party to clear suspicions, not create more. And that's what Jimin had just done. Deliberately.

"Jimin?"

"I think she knew anyway."

More silence. Jimin slowly dug his hands into his pockets.

"She's a good actress. But I think honestly, out of anyone, Minseo suspected me most of all."

"But Jimin, you could have-"

"No, Yoongi, I'm tired of it."

A cutting, acrimonious tone. It wavered, in the slightest manner, but the emotion rang out like a bell to Yoongi.

"Jimin, what're you s-"

"Look at you!" The boy turned to him abruptly and gestured at Yoongi's clothes, his expression gone fully sharp. "Just look at you! This isn't what you want at all. You hate it...I know you hate it, you're just doing this for my sake, but for what benefit? So I can take backwards steps?? We'd just be undoing everything you did for me if I continue to lie. It's killing me inside, Yoongi, I can't do this anymore..."

There were tears welling in his eyes. Bitter, bitter tears.

At that moment, Jimin glanced over at somewhere across the backyard, where Minseo happened to be along with a few of her friends. They were looking in his direction.

A sharp pain pricked his chest. Yoongi's, too.

"Jimin, what do you want to do?"

"I just want to go home."

"...then I'll call Riyeon."