The Secrets We Keep - Taekai

the one where he begins moving on

"So how's Taemin been since-?" Jung Ah asked, sitting down beside Jongin on his dorm bed. Jongin was sitting in a small huddle on his bed, knees pulled up to his chest.

Jongin shrugged, "I don't know. We don't really talk anymore."

Jung Ah wasn't at the dorm to see Jongin, she was there to spend the day with Sehun. It was Jongin's understanding that they were somewhere between friends and actually dating.

"What do you mean you all don't really talk anymore? He's your best friend, Jongin."

"We broke up."

"What?"

Jongin looked over at Jung Ah, finding a surprised look on her face as she looked over at him.

"Taemin and I. We broke up. We were dating and he dumped me after Jonghyun passed away."

"Nini - I'm so sorry." Jung Ah said, reaching over and patting his arm. "I had no clue."

"Yeah I know." Jongin said, nodding. "I didn't tell you all about us because I was afraid that I'd disappoint you, noona, and mom."

"You wouldn't have disappointed us, Jongin. We would have been happy for you guys."

"Doesn't matter now."

"How long were you all together?"

Jongin sighed, shrugging again. "You remember that awkward dinner that we all had after I got back from Japan a few years ago where you asked me where Taemin was and told me I should have brought him?"

"Yeah."

"We had been dating for a bit at that point."

"Wow. That's.... a while."

"Doesn't matter though. He's doing his own thing now and I'm figuring out where I am."

"Yeah."

Jongin let out a sigh, trying desperately to think of any way to change the topic of conversation. "So out of all my bandmates, you pick Sehun? Really Jung Ah?"

Jung Ah laughed, shaking her head. "Oh shut up, Nini. Sehun's a nice guy."

■

Jongin knew Jennie had known something was up. She had to have known that he was acting weird, acting off at the very least. They had been official to the public for less than a month and already things had been awkward.

Jennie and Jongin's schedules were both extremely busy. Both EXO and BlackPink were busy and neither Jongin nor Jennie seemed to be able to spare any time to catch up with the other.

Taemin had always found a way to find time for him.

But Taemin had also dumped him, Jongin had to remind himself of that. Taemin had left him a couple months after Jonghyun had passed away.

He couldn't compare Jennie to Taemin. It wasn't fair to either of them, but especially not to Jennie.

Jongin hadn't been set up with Taemin in order to get promo for both of their groups like he had been with Jennie. Sure it was supposed to be a real relationship with Jennie. But it wasn't real like Taemin had been.

Jongin and Taemin had been more real than any other relationship he had ever had. And Jongin missed it, a lot.

Jongin felt like he had no one to turn to in order to talk about his feelings regarding Taemin having left him. He wanted to talk to someone about how he lost the best thing that had happened to him, but there was no one for him to turn to.