The events of the previous day still bothered Jimin. His talk with Namjoon about Seokjin, and the sincere apology his friend made to the boy despite his own heart being broken, and just...everything about it. So going into school that morning he wasn't in the best mood. And it didn't help that he could feel people staring at him for whatever reason, some of which appeared to be whispering with one another about something or other.

He shrugged it off. As best he could, anyway.

Some time before first period began that day, Sojung, Jimin's classmate who sat right behind him, slid into his desk while reaching out to tap Jimin obnoxiously on the shoulder.

"Heyyyy~"

Jimin immediately swatted his hand away. "Piss off."

"You always say that." The other boy sighed. "Gimme a chance to at least say something, will ya? Unless you already know what it's about~"

"No idea, and I don't care." Jimin rolled his eyes, hoping the conversation would end there but knowing for a fact that it wouldn't. Surely enough, Sojung continued.

"Tomorrow's Friday."

"So it is."

"You're going, right?"

"Don't know what you're talking about, but no."

In response, Jimin received an exasperated groan from his classmate, who had the audacity to grab his shoulder. "C'mon, man," he whined. "You do too know. Don't mess with me."

Jimin paused for a moment. In the back of his mind, he felt something. A vague, vague memory of something he had overheard from people, perhaps been spoken to directly once about, but discarded because it didn't mean anything to him.

It came back to him. Someone's birthday party. A freaking birthday party. As if he couldn't possibly care little enough to begin with, and someone was bugging him about it now.

"I'm not going."

"Minseo's gonna be heartbroken."

"Why should that bother me?" Scoffing, Jimin bothered to throw an irritated glance over his shoulder, even more annoyed to find Sojung gazing at him with disappointment. "I haven't even spoken to her in months. I don't know why she would care if I show up to her stupid birthday party."

"You're so weird, man." The boy shook his head as a drawn-out sigh left his lips. "The prettiest girl in the school is so obviously in love with you and you act like it's a nuisance."

"Because it is," Jimin said bluntly.

"What's with you? Do girls just bore you now?"

It was like a switch flipped at those words. Jimin's defense switch. "Who ever said that?"

"No one, man." Sojung sighed again. "It's just...your behavior."

A tug at his chest. He heard whispers around him. Or maybe they were just in his head. He couldn't tell at the time.

"My behavior nothing..." He said under his breath, then a little louder, "nothing's weird about my behavior."

"Mm. Then why don't you seem interested in dating? And going to parties? Those are normal teenage things that you used to care more about."

"It's none of your concern."

"Got anything to do with the pastel boy?" Sojung asked, tone rising as in a teasing manner. He gasped dramatically. "No! Don't tell me! He's blackmailing you!" Amused by his own joke, Sojung gave a small burst of laughter, bending over to clutch his stomach. "Oh, the thought of that...shortie's probably got a crush on you and wants you for himself."

Jimin's blood boiled. It boiled, and as it did so fear rose with the heat, causing him to become trapped in conflicting feelings that were all too familiar at this point. "Who are you calling shortie?" He muttered. "I'm like the same height as him."

The response surprised Sojung. There was no arguing with that. His expression alone made that clear, though he commented anyway as though it was necessary to get his puzzlement across.

"Are you defending him?"

The blood continued to boil. "Maybe I am."

"You're full of surprises, aren't you, Park Jimin?"

Sojung chuckled quietly to himself, shaking his head almost in disbelief. Jimin really hoped this time, that the conversation would end here. Because he could feel himself on the verge of getting worked up.

"I feel like you've just got some kind of secret holding you hostage, Jimin."

Yoongi heard. He had been in the classroom, several seats away, but tuned out for the majority of the conversation because Jungkook had been talking to him. However Jungkook turned back around in his seat in time for Yoongi to hear that one sentence. And his chest just froze up.

He knew it was his fault. Why Jimin was being suspected of things. Why he was being accused of "changing." And sure, some of the things the boy was being accused of may have been true, but the last thing Yoongi wanted was for Jimin to be found out before he was ready.

So if he could, he would change that.

*

"Jimin, hey, wait a second. Do you wanna go get coffee?"

He managed to catch Jimin moments before the boy was about to turn the other way to head home. And Jimin just spun around, confused, as though asking to go get coffee was the most absurd question in the world right now.

"Why?"

Yoongi stopped in front of him, then shrugged. "Just 'cus. Why not? You busy?"

Jimin glanced bitterly away, bottom lip sticking out to further emphasize his unpleasant mood.

Yoongi cracked a smile. Cutie...

"I'm not busy," the boy muttered. "I just didn't expect you'd ask to get coffee."

"Well, let's get coffee."

"...why-"

"Jimin, for goodness' sake, I'm not asking you to run a marathon with me, it's just coffee, let's go."

He felt he couldn't argue. Or maybe he was just too tired to. Either way, Jimin soon found himself walking alongside Yoongi all the way to The Golden Spoon, where Yoongi offered to wait in line for their coffee while Jimin saved them a spot.

Roughly ten minutes later and the mint-haired boy joined his friend with a smile as he set down the two hot beverages.

Things were quiet for a bit after that. Yoongi took a careful sip of his coffee, then sighed.

"...so, are you planning on going to what's-her-face's party tomorrow?"

At this, Jimin lifted his head, shocked that Yoongi would bring it up to begin with, and just a little resentful that the topic was brought up again at all. He didn't want to remember his conversation with Sojung from that morning.

"...why would I?" The boy eventually responded, and returned his attention to his coffee.

"Well, why not? It could be fun, right?"

It was odd to him. Yoongi making the suggestion. It shouldn't have mattered to him whether or not Jimin went. "I have no reason to go."

"What if I go?"

He was just confusing Jimin more and more now with every word. He shot the mint-haired boy a weird look. "Why should that change my decision?"

"No, look, Jimin, I have a plan-"

"Oh, no, those are never good words, from anyone-" Jimin interrupted, and he shook his head in disapproval. It just made Yoongi laugh. The boy had a point. Ninety percent of the time those words meant bad things. But he meant a good thing. At least he hoped.

Honestly it was a spontaneous thought he wanted to try putting into action.

When things grew quiet again, Yoongi rested his elbows on the table, looking thoughtfully across from him at his friend who was in the process of drinking his coffee and pouting.

"...Jimin, I just wanna help you clear the suspicions."

His voice was soft. Sympathetic. Jimin felt a firm tug at his chest, a bitter expression washing over his face once again, but inside he didn't feel bitter. Just afraid.

"Are they really suspicions if they're accurate?"

Yoongi tried to analyze the boy's face. "Jimin-"

"I don't see how going to the party will change that, anyway."

He just felt bad for Jimin. From the looks of it, the boy was sick to his stomach with fear, and the fact that Yoongi knew he was the root cause of it didn't make him feel any better about it. Jimin had made progress. Immense progress. But it didn't seem he was prepared to be judged by the entire school just yet. And Yoongi completely understood that.

"I, uh..." He sighed, clearing his throat. "I dunno...maybe going to the party and socializing would make people change their minds a little?"

"But I don't wanna socialize with them."

"I'll go with you."

Jimin's head was facing down slightly but he lifted his gaze enough to look at Yoongi. "I socialize with you on a daily basis," he pointed out obviously. "That's what started the suspicion to begin with."

Yoongi sighed deeply. "I didn't mean I'd go there dressed like this." As Jimin stared up at him again the mint-haired boy gestured at his pastel attire. "I'll...change it up a bit. Pretend to be someone else for a night."

Jimin rolled his eyes to the right. "That sounds ridiculous."

"It's not that ridiculous," Yoongi countered. "Think about it. I'll go with you to the party wearing, ya know, 'straight-guy' clothes, do something with my hair, and maybe wear one of those sick masks so people won't be able to see most of my face. And I'll just be there with you so it looks like you're doing normal teenage stuff, but you won't be as uncomfortable. Ya know?"

There was a long pause as Jimin's countenance gradually slipped into a state of utter deadpan.

"...you've either been watching too many tv shows, or you've absolutely lost your mind."

"It's either that, or I dress up as a girl and pretend to be your girlfriend-"

"Okay, you really have lost your mind."

Yoongi couldn't help but laugh now, having to hold off on taking a drink of his coffee because he knew he would just spit it out. Evidently, from the looks of it Jimin wasn't at all amused. However little did Yoongi know the boy's heart was somersaulting at his expression of delight.

"I'm not gonna do that," Yoongi finally said after he had gotten a hold of himself. "But I am serious about the first thing."

Jimin shrunk into his seat. "...you really think it'll make any difference?"

"I mean, it could," Yoongi said with a shrug. "Besides, I haven't gone to a party in a while, and this can be a chance for you to give me a makeover."

"I'm not giving you a makeover..."

"Well, can I at least borrow some of your clothes?"

"W-why?"

"Were you listening to anything I said?"

"Kinda..."

"Just give me the straightest thing you have."

"That doesn't make any sense—how 'bout a straightjacket?"

"No..."

"Just don't wear your sweaters."

Yoongi tugged at his pink shirt.

"Or that."

"Do you have like, a Metallica shirt I could borrow?"

"No??"

"Well, what do straight guys wear?"

"Clothes??" Jimin threw his hands out as a gesture of sarcasm. "You're overthinking this..."

"I'm just messing with you," Yoongi chuckled. "But I do wanna make it convincing. That's the point."

"...just wear a t-shirt and jeans, it's not that difficult."

"Mm, sounds too simple. I'll think about it."

"You're exasperating..."