Wolves and Bread (COMPLETED)

Chapter 12

'You're not. You look pale and that day you probably haven't eaten anything at all. Are you trying to lose weight? If you do, this is not the way to do it. Hell, you don't even have to, Jimin. You're already skinny and looking great.' A deep inhale of breath, because all that came out in one go and more unrestrained than was anticipated.

He shakes his head and two sorrowful blueish grey oceans catch my gaze. 'I wish I could believe that, truly. I also wish you'd understand why I'm doing this.'

'How many meals a day do you eat?' Surprised he has apparently decided to lay his cards on the table, I lean forward and entwine my fingers with one another, a sign that there is a listening ear in the form of a friend present.

'Merely breakfast,' he admits, tone as dreary as the gloomiest autumn day in England, when the world is made of nothing but a constant rain that shrouds the world in a grey veil and heavy gusts of wind which make the branches of the trees tremble so much there is a risk they may break off.

A raised eyebrow, expecting that this is not all. 'And for the rest? Nothing?'

He nods. Doubtfully, he runs a hand through his inky black locks, the sense of disappointment undeniable, 'Nothing but water.'

'Jimin, it's not healthy to live like this.' It costs an immense amount of determination to not stand up, pull him off his seat, and assure him via an embrace before the tears begin to flow. Nevertheless I stay put, petrified by the information about what he does to himself.

'I know and yet I can't stop, you know?' He seems to realize something. 'How did you know I had not eaten anything else that day?'

'I suspected something was going on, yet did not know at the time that this was happening.'

His gaze softens, but is still grimmer than ever. 'Namjoon hyung talked some sense back into me after I broke down. I didn't want you to see me crying because of this, that's why I left and why he ran after me. He's always there for me and the others.' He smiles at the thought of the older guy.

I knew why Rapmon would go after him, but the thought of Jimin crying breaks my heart. And the opportunity to see it nonetheless has unfortunately not been evaded as of yet.

'That indeed sounds like Namjoon. However, this is a serious issue. Does anyone besides the crew know? Have you gotten any professional help?'

'In the past I had, for a couple of months. During that time everything went well, until-' He trails off, letting the guesses as to how the sentence ends, all the good and bad scenarios, float in the air.

'Until what?' I ask softly, voice gentle and unprejudiced. Carefully I put my hand on his arm, digits testing the waters beforehand by slowly curling around him in the expectation he will pull away. Gratefully he places his hand over mine, the touch warm and loving, and watches them in silence for a moment.

Then he takes a deep breath, having gathered himself enough to continue the account with a steadier voice. 'Until one day the therapy definitely changed my life.'

'In what way?' It does not sound like that cliché of therapy having saved one's life. It sounds bad, very bad, in the manner that makes the hairs on the back of the neck stand on edge. As is the case with me whilst a certain dark cloud treks over the blue aventurine seas and swallows me up in a likely inappropriate curiosity.

Just as he is about to say something, the maknae and his partner in crime, the two better known as Jungkook and Taehyung, join us.

'What are we talking about?' The youngest of among us enquires cheerfully as soon as he sits down next to me, his arm upon which veins pop out due to many hours spent in the gym on the back of my chair and the scent of tropical fruit piercing. A bit embarrassed thanks to his closeness despite him not meaning anything with it, I lean further forward so he cannot touch me, a wave of relief immediately washing over me because of the distance between us.