Nineteen | SeulMin FF

-14-

She's truly worried because of him. He's glad to see that. But, at the same time, the last thing he wants is to cause his beloved further distress. Kang Seulgi is an amazing, respectful and strong woman. She seems like a glass figurine at first, the Devil everyone calls but, once her walls are down and she opens up like a flower, she's the sweetest, loveliest woman who's still a maneater. It took him a while to climb over the walls, but once she opened up to him, he's known that it has to be her.

Which is why, he gets up from his seat, despite the glares and walks over to her. Jimin kneels on the floor and turns her around, to hold her hands.

"I'm the luckiest man to have you. Maybe the heavens gave me you, when they took away my two friends." Jimin tells her painfully and Seulgi frowns.

Their hands rest on her thighs and she gently caresses his.

"What happened?"

He takes a moment, then lets out all of these horrendous thoughts. Seulgi is his guardian angel and she'll keep him warm from the dark.

"Joohyun, she asked for a goodbye kiss." The man says and looks at her. She's frozen.

And just when he's about to explain the situation better, she surprises him once again. Seulgi chuckles sweetly.

"She's always been such a drama queen. And?"

He still feels like stepping on a minefield, but goes on.

"I was reluctant, for obvious reasons. Would she really give up on us? Would she let go of the past?" He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "She did." And he feels relieved.

She places her hand above his. "But that's not what's bothering you. Not entirely," and leans into his touch.

"No, not entirely. The truth is, Taehyung has something to do with it too." And Seulgi remembers a crying Taehyung rush away from the rooftop. Whatever has happened there, it was something huge. "We were best friends since school days. We went through hardships, through the many stages of friendships, love, heartbreak... We always shared everything. Well, almost everything. In truth, when I met Joohyun later in college. She was my first serious crush. Taehyung changed. He became more distant. I thought that maybe, he also had feelings for her. How wrong I was."

When Jimin's voice creaks, Seulgi holds his face in her palms and gently kisses his forehead, as a gesture to show him how everything's alright.

"On the rooftop, he faced me and laid out his heart, after all these years. He was jealous, he was hurt. But not because of what I thought. Taehyung wasn't in love with Joohyun. He was in love with... me." He struggles a bit, when saying that last word. It's not only an unimaginable thing, but unexpected as well. Jimin feels sentenced, when saying that.

Seulgi is unable to process it well. Taehyung was having an unrequited love towards his best friend, for all those years. The angel knows how much the poor man has suffered. What's worse, he is now married to what used to be his rival. Such a heartbreaking fate.

"I failed as a friend," Jimin confesses, and a tear escapes his eye. "I feel so ashamed not paying attention to the little things. The gestures, the ships, the looks. I've hurt him the most. The one he loved. I never realized and instead, twisted reality so it will be on my liking."

More and more, the tears won't stop from falling. Seulgi caresses him, but doesn't try to stop him. He has to let it out, to get rid of the pain, otherwise it will consume him. And he won't be able to focus on moving on.

"Hush love, it will be alright."

At least, that's what she hopes with all of her heart.

✢