ICONS ➣ JINKOOK

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Another dull day. At least it's outside of his apartment for once. A step in the right direction.

Seokjin fled to the coffee shop nearest to his home, taking the cap off his head and pulling down his mask as he stepped into the partly empty establishment.

He takes one last glance around the room. Sharp eyes meet his, and that familiar stare pulls him closer to the table in a trancelike state.

"Hi," he mutters.

"Hi," Jimin replies and Seokjin bites back a smile.

"Can-can I sit with you?" He stammers out, pointing at the empty chair at his side.

Jimin nods, perusing his lips together, and the younger takes a seat.

"I heard about you being chosen to work with Marc," Seokjin says, striking up a conversation. Congrats."

"Thank you," Jimin says, letting up a quick little smile.

"I, um–I miss you guys like crazy." The younger internally winces at how awkward he sounds.

The older huffs, drawing his cup to his lips. "Well, everything has changed," he sighs.

"Yeah," Seokjin mutters.

He thinks about turning away. He shouldn't be doing this, he should just leave things as is, let Jimin grieve and instead he opened his big stupid mouth.

"How is Jungkook doing? I heard you two basically live together now," the older questions, a twinge of curiosity in his voice as he eyes Seokjin.

The male let out an airy, dismissive chuckle. "We don't live together, but I honestly do come over a lot. He's doing alright. It's nice having someone to keep you company."

Jimin smiles. "I'm sure," he says as he sets his cup down.

Everything is cold and stale between each other. Seokjin wants to crawl into a ball and never face the older man again.

"How is Namjoon?" He says instead.

Jimin forces a smile. "He's fine."

"I know the last time we talked—"

Jimin cuts the younger one with a loud sigh. "Don't start with the pity party, Seokjin,'' he says sharply.

The younger frowns, his eyebrows draw together as he shakes his head. "It's not pity. I didn't want it to end like that. You were so much to me you don't understand."

"Bullshit," the older hisses out.

"Hyung, you were my best friend. I miss seeing you. I missed hearing your voice. You didn't even care that I was hurting without you! Our friendship didn't matter to you. You talked shit about me to millions of people like I was nothing—"

Jimin lets out a cold chilling laugh. "After all the shit you've done, you can't be serious. Seokjin, the moment you joined our little group, shit took a turn for the worst," the man spits. "After the fucking bullying scandal, what you did to Yoongi?"

It's so easy for Jimin to sit there and hit the younger with his misplaced anger.

He wishes things never had to end the way it did. It was all Seokjin wanted.

He doesn't harbor any anger or hate towards the older. He swears on his life he'd pay the older back after everything he's done for him. Without Jimin, he wouldn't be where he is now.

There will always be nothing but love for him. But they lost their way and they're far gone.

The younger's eyebrows knitted tightly together and his bottom lip was pushed out, holding back from bursting into tears inside the cafe. "Hyung–"

"And now Taehyung is dead and you're finally making your move to Jungkook. This is what you have been waiting for, right?"

Seokjin's stomach drops.

He stares at the older. Tears fall from his eyes as he shakes his head. "You don't mean that hyung. You don't... You can't," he mutters out desperately, wanting the older to take it back.

Jimin's dark stare bores into the younger. Not even a twinge of remorse on his face.

"What's going on?" A voice calls from behind him. The younger composes himself, wiping at his cheeks and nose, taking a deep breath as the person rounds the table.

"Seokjin," the man says with a dimpled smile.

"Namjoon," the younger mutters.

A warm smile hidden behind those dark eyes and an even darker past.

Seokjin licks at his lips, a forced smile tugs onto his face. "Hi hyung," he greets, his shaky voice giving the reason for his hesitance.

"Jinnie, are you okay?" The older questions.

"No, I'm okay!"

Namjoon lets out a sigh as he takes a seat beside him and Seokjin's stomach churns. It makes him sick to think he's sitting next to the same man that ruined his friends and the younger's career. The same man that caused one of his closest friends to kill themselves.

"Well, how are you doing? I haven't seen you since... "Namjoon asks, his words drifting off the mentions of Taehyung's funeral.

Namjoon is just like everyone else.

After Taehyung passed, all anyone can do is pretend like they've done nothing. The same people that sat back and bullied him to death have flooded his account with messages upon messages and comments upon comments.

'I love you.'

'We miss you.'

'RIP.'

All the same fake bullshit.

And Namjoon is just as bad. He knows what he's done, but has never felt an ounce of regret. He carries on with life as if nothing happened.

The way he fakes concern makes the younger boil inside. A tight, mocking smile tugs across Seokjin's face as he peers at the older man.

"I'm doing okay. How are you? I know you and Taehyung were very close," he questions. His mocking tone smacks the smile right off Namjoon's face as he looks back at the younger.

There's this paralyzing fear that hits him as the older eyes stare into his. He swears Namjoon is sarong right through him.

"I'm taking things day by day," the older shrugs.

"Of course." Seokjin wants to laugh.

A lying sack of shit is what Seokjin can see. He's done waiting around to make a move.

He won't let him get away with it. He refuses to spend sleepless nights mourning over his friend and he's tired of missing his brothers, the group they once were.

He refuses to let Jungkook take all the blame for what happened, to let the older feel like he hasn't done enough for Taehyung.

He'll take Namjoon down now, even if he has to do it alone.

"You know... We should talk more hyung."

"Talk?" Namjoon murmurs as he settles in closer to the younger.

Jimin's eyes lock with his, but Seokjin ignores the older. A smile grazes his face as he keeps his stare pointed at the older.

"Mhm, I missed you a lot hyung." He grabs a hold of the older's hand, watching as a smile reaches Namjoon's face.

"I missed you too, Jin-ah."

He's got him right where he wants him.