pastel boy:
jimin really tho was it smth I said?
if so I'm sorry
I thought u were enjoying the movie
I don't understand y u left...

The messages sounded genuinely disappointed, and Jimin didn't get it, but at the moment, he didn't have time to reply or even think about it. Shoving the phone into his back pocket, the boy made his way as fast as possible to Namjoon's house and nimbly slipped his way into the backyard by way of climbing over the white picket fence, then entered through the back door which Jimin trusted would be unlocked in the middle of the day. It was. And it was by some miracle that he managed to get in the house at all without Jihyun, who was waiting inside near the front door, detecting him.

Jimin knew there was a bathroom in the basement. So he slyly tiptoed over to the basement stairway and pretended to climb up some steps, then made his way into the living room.

Jihyun didn't suspect a thing. But still, Jimin's heart hammered against his chest with anxiety.

"There you are," his brother said, heaving a sigh. "Didn't realize you took that long in the bathroom."

"I was on my phone," Jimin lied. He cleared his throat and shot an appreciative glance at Namjoon who was sitting on the sofa in the living room. Namjoon just rolled his eyes.

"C'mon, Jimin."

At the abrupt realization his brother was in the process of leaving the house, Jimin called out, "Wait, what's the rush? Why'd you come here to get me anyway??"

Jihyun didn't answer until Jimin had also left the house, soon to be standing next to the older's car which was parked right outside. Sighing, he turned to Jimin, then gestured impatiently for the boy to get into the vehicle. "I have to pick Eunji up from her piano lessons, and since mom and dad won't be home we're gonna go to McDonald's for dinner. Don't complain, just get in."

"McDonald's sucks."

"You ungrateful little boy."

It was such a huge sweep of relief. It truly did seem as though Jihyun wasn't suspicious of him. This was all just a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Jihyun didn't know. And for now, that was what needed to happen. Jihyun needed to not know.

It might have seemed ridiculous from someone else's viewpoint. But the issue was, Jimin probably couldn't have gotten away with admitting to simply being at another friend's house. Jihyun knew Jimin to the extent that his little brother didn't have any close friends other than Namjoon, certainly no one close enough that he would be okay with going over their house.

So yeah, Jimin was pretty darn lucky to have Namjoon.

Jimin climbed into the passenger's side of the car and reached into his pocket to take out his phone.

And as his brother put the keys into ignition and started the car, he thought of Yoongi.

And his freaking heart skipped a beat.

▫️▫️▫️

After picking Eunji up from her piano lessons, Jihyun, as planned, drove them all to McDonald's for dinner, then right back home. And Jimin, again, was relieved. Despite being in the clear, the whole scarcely avoided incident had put him on edge, and he reminded himself that it could happen again in the future if he weren't careful. Perhaps, though, he would know better by that point. Jimin hadn't really been thinking when he told Jihyun he was at Namjoon's. For future reference if the same situation came up again Jimin wouldn't use that same excuse.

(In his defense, though, how could he have known Jihyun was going to show up?)

It was the middle of the evening when they returned. Exhausted, Jimin decided to call first dibs on the shower. So he showered, put on his ugly gray sweatpants and matching sweatshirt and collapsed onto his bed, shutting and locking the door behind him.

Exhausted. He was so. Freaking. Exhausted. Lying on his back, gazing up at the ceiling, Jimin once again allowed his mind to drift. And it drifted back to Yoongi, specifically the memories of earlier that day, Yoongi's smiles and teasing comments and laughter...

Those beautiful russet eyes...

The way Yoongi had so tenderly run his thumb across Jimin's cheek to wipe away a tear stain...

He was so caring. And sweet. Annoying, but regardless, Jimin was gradually arriving at a conclusion he didn't want to accept.

His eyes lingering on Yoongi's lips after the movie's kiss scene was another contributing factor.

He didn't want to say it. He didn't even want to think it, because it was such a scary thing even in theory, so for it to possibly be true made Jimin's panic meter go mad.

Placing his hand over his chest, Jimin started to breathe slowly, steadily as best he could, trying to make his mind blank but he just couldn't stop thinking about Yoongi.

This isn't good at all.

He knew it would hurt to say but it hurt even more to keep it in his head. And it was Yoongi's fault, really—after all Yoongi was the one encouraging him to express himself rather than bottling everything up all the time.

That being said, Jimin allowed a little frustration to slip through his voice as he whispered painfully:

"I think I've fallen in love with him."

The sound of it. The sound of those words hanging in the air above Jimin's head, fluttering in his ears like the most obnoxious butterflies... It was odd. It was so incredibly odd. He had never been in love.

And for it to be with Yoongi, of all people...

This was all Yoongi's fault.

"Ugh, I hate him so much..."

It was so much easier to say that. Jimin furrowed his brow.

"I...I'm in love with Yoongi."

His cheeks burned.

This is the worst.

He rolled over to lay on his side.

"I'm in love with Yoongi."

I don't deserve to be, he added in thought. Regret washed over him momentarily. And he knew it would come back to bite him even more later, but right now, for whatever reason, he allowed himself to delve deeper into the idea of being in love.

It was incredibly conflicting. New. But, weirdly pleasant.

His chest warmed at the memory of Yoongi draping that blanket over him—a small but sweet gesture—and of the comforting feeling of resting his head on Yoongi's shoulder. And Yoongi softly combing his fingers through Jimin's hair...

He imagined Yoongi's hugs would be nice.

And kissing him?

Oh my gosh I need to stop.

He didn't, though.

In fact he fell asleep to the thought of kissing that sweet, mint-haired boy.