Minho ushered Jin to a small table for two in the corner of the small cafe. It was cute and quaint but not like Namjoon's; not as cozy and intimate. Minho pulled out a seat and Jin plopped himself down. He was beginning to sweat because of the drastic change in temperature and attempted to remove the jacket but was stopped by his ex.
"Leave it on, your lips are still discolored, so you need to stay warm." Despite not wanting to, Jin's mind said he should listen. "Do you want your usual?" Minho asked.
Somewhere in his mind sirens were blaring; this was too familiar. Jin nodded curtly.
Minho left to get their order. Jin wasn't sure why he was helping him or why he even agreed to get into his car for that matter. Jin knew he wasn't thinking right, maybe he was in a state of shock. That would explain his lack of responses because even he knew he wasn't acting right.
As Jin's body began thawing to the temperature, he began shivering. He didn't realize how cold he was until he ran his hands over his thighs and felt barely anything, he was so numb from the cold. He pulled Minho's coat closer for warmth despite being a little sweaty as well and flinched at the familiar scent of cologne. For some reason, the smell cleared some of the cloudiness from his mind. He remembered his fight with Jungkook, the words he said. He said such horrible things to him. Jin was still hurt but he was being a little irrational when he had called Jungkook a coward, he knew his boyfriend was in wrong and he clung to that; afraid of it being swept under the rug as he had done with Minho.
It was something they needed to sort out one on one. Jin just hopes what he said didn't break them. He hoped Jungkook knew that everything he said was said in anger.
Despair and heartache were the first emotions to filter through Jin after hours of nothing and it took everything not to burst into tears in that little cafe. Frantically, he searched his pockets for his phone only to remember he threw the damn thing in the trash on some random corner. He also remembered he gave all the money he got from Namjoon to a homeless man. He wasn't even drunk and he was still doing dumb shit. He wanted to weep at the thought of asking Minho for a ride back to his apartment, not wanting to owe Minho anything even if it was something as simple as a car ride. Jin rested on the table as his head began to throb.
The loud screeching of the chair across from Jin made him jump as Minho sat himself and their orders down. It was surprisingly fast, Jin wanted a few more minutes to clear his head and put a plan together.
"One hot chocolate with a splash of coffee and a bowl of red bean porridge for you and one large Americano for me."
The sight of food made Jin's stomach gurgle and he couldn't tell if it was from hunger or nausea. He picked up his spoon anyway knowing the feeling was either going to go away or increase until he vomited. Either way, he'll get some type of relief. He dug into his porridge, moaning in pleasure at the first taste. He loved red bean porridge, especially during the winter.
Minho watched him, eyes narrowed in a way that would've sent shivers down his back when they dated but only causes him discomfort now.
Setting down his spoon after a few more bites before wiping his face with a napkin, Jin cleared his throat. "Thank you for picking me up, and for the food, Minho." Jin gave a slight bow in appreciation. He wanted to be as formal as possible with his ex. Putting up a barrier between them of formality will help put more distance between them.
Minho waved him off. "You looked like you needed a ride, it was freezing and you had no jacket, you know? What was that about? Why were you walking around at 7 in the morning? Are you crazy? You could get seriously sick, Jin. And who would look after you? Jimin?" He snorted in disbelief. "That man can't even take care of his own life let alone—"
Jin slammed his hot cocoa on the table, silencing Minho if only for a moment. Minho looked off into the distance, taking a swig of his coffee.
"Forgot how defensive you get about him."
"He's my best friend, Minho, in case you forgot." Jin sneered before he could catch himself. His voice was rough and scratchy from the cold and lack of use.
Something about the sneer flicked something on behind Minho's eyes and Jin knew he took it as a personal attack as he always did when Jin got defensive of anything he loved. The only difference now was it looked like Minho was thinking before he spoke, which was new.
"Riiight. Looks like you two are still two peas in a pod, huh?" His eyes squinted, calculated, and the look made Jin want to curl into himself but he refused. Those days were over.
"He's been my best friend for as long as I remember and us breaking up didn't change that." As if you're that important.
Minho snorted. "How could I forget. He was the reason we broke up. Did you ever tell him why? That it was his fault?"
Jin laughed but it came out more of a dry crackle. "He was never the reason for us breaking up, don't pin your failures on Jimin. You still don't know how to take responsibility and that is something I will never miss."
Minho's eyes flash and Jin could tell all civil conversation was thrown out the window, as was typical of his ex when he heard something he didn't like. There were times when he would get physically violent, not with Jin personally, but Minho would take his anger out on objects close to him. Jin used to have plaster on hand when one of Minho's fists decided to collide with his wall, a habit that frequently occurred. It used to scare Jin terribly but Minho's apologizes always seemed to make him forgive and forget.
But this time was different. Jin wasn't afraid of losing him this time. He wasn't scared that that fist would miss the wall and collide with his cheek instead. This time he was ready for it.
This time Jin wasn't backing down from the confrontation.
"Of course, he was. He was driving a wedge between us, always pulling you away from me. He was always jealous of us." He leaned back, relaxing into his seat like he already won. "Pretty sure, he would've spread his legs for me if I actually responded to his advances."
Lies. Jin knew every word he spoke was lies. Jimin was the loyalist person as one could get.
Jin calmed his breathing. He wouldn't give Minho the satisfaction of seeing him lose his temper. "That's funny coming from a cheater like you." Satisfaction ran through him as he watched his ex's lips tighten.
"If anything, Jimin had the patience of a saint. He could deal without the humiliation of hearing all the shit you spewed about him. But he stayed by me. All the shit you said to your friends. God, I don't miss those asshats one bit. Every single get-together with them was just a slut-shaming fest for all of you. Even with all the shit you said, he never left me. He's more loyal a friend than you ever were as a lover." Jin said bitterly, recalling all the jokes and tauntings they would make about Jimin either to his face or behind his back.
"A saint? Don't make me laugh, Jin. Really? Even with all the shit we said about him it didn't stop him from sleeping with Daniel."
Jin was two seconds from throwing the rest of his porridge in the man's face. He took a few calming breaths. Think before you act. It was something his mom always said to him when he was just hitting puberty and started having fits of random rage. What Minho said didn't, and will never matter to him. Not anymore.
"Not that it's any of your business, but Daniel was the only nice one out of all your douchey friends. Ever noticed how he didn't say shit when you got to talking about Jimin? They dated for a while actually. Behind your back. Before he got transferred to Changwon for work. But you wouldn't know that, would you? All because you can't seem to focus on anyone but yourself."
Minho was quiet, surprisingly. He tended to like to interrupt. The only thing giving his anger away now was his tightly clenched fists. Jin was on a roll now. All the anger from the last two years boiling to the surface and he refused to hold it in this time.
"I honestly don't know what I saw in you those two years because there is nothing appealing about you, nothing. Maybe it was the sexual attraction that made me stay because there was truly nothing I got out of our relationship. You're mean. Judgemental. You have nothing good to say unless it's about yourself. You're ambitious to the point of destruction. You've cheated on me multiple times the entire length of our relationship. I had to get tested because of you. You made me push my family, my friends, away. Jimin was the only one who fought to stay by my side despite the hell you put him through. His heart was in the right place when he set us up but man, is he a bad judge of character."
Jin took a breath. With every word, he could feel a weight being lifted off his shoulders. He was finally getting to tell Minho everything that he's been bottling up after almost three months since they broke up. He was finally getting his closure he didn't even know he needed.
"And the worst part is that I never defended him." Jin's voice cracking just slightly with pain. "I tried in the beginning but you wouldn't listen; you never listen. Despite me being a coward—" Jin wavered as he remembered he called Jungkook the exact same thing just hours earlier. He felt shame wash over him as he accused his boyfriend of the same feelings he went through.
"Despite me being a coward, he never left me. He forgave me. He deserved a better friend than what I was to him."
It was hard to hold onto the anger he first felt when he was left with nothing but shame. Shame for his treatment of Jimin, of Jungkook. He should've just listened to Jungkook. Should've heard the whole story. God, he was a terrible person.
Turns out he did get something out of his relationship with Minho. His inability to listen, to say sorry.
"That's not my fault. Jimin isn't my friend. If you wanted me to stop talking about him then you should've tried harder." Minho said with an eye roll, unaware of the turmoil Jin was going through.
Jin stared incredulously at him. "A grown man with the emotional depth of a three-year-old." He murmured. There was no rationalizing with Minho. He will never see the wrong in his actions, Jin realizes that now. As much as he wanted closure for them, for himself, he knew he wouldn't get it with Minho, not with his mindset.
"Excuse me?" Jin ignored his question and turned to look out the window instead. It was difficult to argue with someone who thinks they've done no wrong, especially with a person who didn't deserve Jin's time of day.
"What? You're just going to ignore me? After I bought your food and gave you a ride?" Minho said in disbelief.
He was pretty happy he was making the other mad without actually doing anything. Jin took another sip of his hot cocoa as he looked outside to see people beginning their day, coffee in hand, dressed to the ten's as always. He recognized the area as the west side of Seoul. Some of the stores he recognized from this side of the city meaning he had a way to get back home without a car. He wasn't sure how much he had on his card but maybe it'll be enough to get him a taxi home.
"Jin?"
Jin snapped his head toward the direction of the sound of his name to see one of Jungkook's friends. He was shorter than Jin and built slim with black hair. He remembered Jungkook saying they worked together but his mind was blanking on a name.
"Yoongi?" Minho questioned, confused as he looked to Jin and back.
"Yes?" Jin answered.
"Hey, Jungkook's been calling around asking if any of us saw you. Did you run away again?" Yoongi asked as he came closer, outright ignoring Minho.
God, is that how I'm going to be remembered? The Runaway Boyfriend? Jin thought. What an impression he was making on Jungkook's friends.
"Yeah, no, wait, what was the question?" Jin could feel his cheeks warm with embarrassment.
"Jungkook? Why would he care about Jin? How do you guys know each other?" Minho asked, clearly not reading the room. The last question was directed at Jin but it was Yoongi who answered.
"They're dating."
"Dating? Since when?" Minho asked in disbelief, eyes growing rounder by the second.
"Since they started dating," Yoongi deadpanned with an eye roll. He refocused on Jin. "Hey, do you need a ride home? Jungkook said you didn't have your car."
He nodded, standing and shrugging out of Minho's coat that was now overheating him. He wasn't sure why he immediately trusted Yoongi but if he was Jungkook's friend then it was good enough for him. Both he and Yoongi ignored Minho's babbling upon realizing Jin was Jungkook's mystery boyfriend.
He was about to follow Yoongi out when he stopped suddenly and spun around. "Oh, and one more thing," Jin placed his palms on the table and brought his face close to Minho's, making the other back away. He hoped he looked intimidating or maybe a little crazy. His voice was still rough so he used that to his advantage.
"You come close to my boyfriend again with this false sense of hope to get into his pants and I will take those marbles you call balls, tie them to a string and make you swallow them, only to pull them back up and repeat it. Over and over again. I have friends in low places and I'm sure they're looking for a fun weekend. Do you understand?"
Jin has never seen Minho's eyes get so wide than at that moment. It was almost comical if Jin wasn't completely serious. He did have friends in low places and Minho knew this but he would never call on them for such a job. Minho wasn't worth it.
Jin smiled wide before turning and rejoining Yoongi. Judging from the knowing glance, Jin could tell he heard everything.
"Should I be worried about Jungkook?" Yoongi asked in amusement as he held the door open for Jin.
"As long as he doesn't pull the same shit Minho did then he should have nothing to worry about," He grinned as he followed Yoongi to his car.
Meant to post this yesterday but forgot!! Have a new year guys!! I think saying happy new year puts too much pressure on 2021 and we need to treat her without any expectations.
I did make a resolution for this year tho. I wanna get a tattoo! And maybe some new piercings but Idk yet! What are yours?