The Rejects [YoonMin][NamJin]

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The Kim household was buzzing with activity. They rarely managed to get everyone together at once, and it was rarely this noisy.

Cramming two adults and six young men in their kitchen was Mrs Kim's idea of a real family celebration.

Turning twenty-one was a huge deal for Jin.

Legally, he had been an adult for two years, but mentally and emotionally, he never felt that way until the last few months. It had taken many, many laborious, difficult years, but he was finally breaking free of that tortured terrified shell.

He had finished college and started university without Namjoon. Although the younger male still attended the same university, they were on separate ends of the campus, and because of their schedules, they didn't spend a lot of time during the day together like they used to.

This forced the elder to make new friends. Just a few kind, understanding people who helped him through the uncomfortable moments so Jin didn't have to call Namjoon to come running all the time.

At first, the younger male was worried a lot. His boyfriend always struggled to be apart from him, and they never split up in unfamiliar places like that, so he was more anxious than Jin at the beginning.

It was hard not to worry, but the older boy flourished, making it all better. He smiled and constantly laughed, which made room for further improvements in his mentality.

Namjoon smiled, remembering the first time the love of his life could finally hug his mother.

He spent all day talking himself into it and repeatedly paced his bedroom as the younger male sat patiently on the bed, waiting for either the breakthrough they needed or the breakdown.

But the second Mrs Kim opened that door to say goodnight, Jin was there, his arms locked around the woman for just a few moments before retreating to the safety net that was his boyfriend. It took a few more days to build up the courage, but he did the same with Mr Kim too.

Just like every evening when the man came home from work, the dark-haired boy practically flew down the stairs, but this time, he didn't stop until his face was buried in his father's chest and his arms tightly wrapped around his waist.

That was the start of powerful changes in the elder.

And he wasn't the only one changing.

Namjoon was studying harder than ever and taking more courses than Jin could keep up with, but the younger boy loved it. He thrived on education and needed the mental stimulation.

When he wasn't studying, he was reading, and when he wasn't reading, he was developing their relationship.

Taehyung was less closed off and reserved than in previous years, having learned how to manage different aspects of his personality better so it didn't impact his friendships and make him want to isolate himself so much.

He still sabotaged all of the games the boys played together online, but that was less about trying to end social interactions and more for comedic value these days.

Hoseok was still as bouncy and vibrant as ever. His regular loud noises and need to move constantly were ever present, but he had learned how to embrace them.

Like Jimin, he loved to dance, but his style choice varied massively. He was a voracious hip-hop and street-style dancer and was determined to start his own dance school in the future.

Jungkook had gotten taller and more resilient when dealing with the sensory issues that bothered him. He still wore his bucket hat religiously and hated bright light, but he had learned to cope with the overwhelming sensations.