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The next two weeks were a mixture of the most challenging and the most amazing time he'd ever had.
School, as expected, had been chaos. The news about Jungkook and him had exploded like a nuclear bomb all across campus and even off it. He could hear it everywhere, people no longer caring to whisper but loudly spoke as he passed them on the hallway. And when Jungkook was with him, a whole hoard of students followed them, taking pictures and screeching in excitement. There were also some less positive reaction of course. Some shot them disgusted faces and called them names. Fags, disgusting gays, sinners and so on. It hurt, even as he tried to ignore it. He just couldn't understand why some people felt the need to make other's feel down just because of who they loved. What did they care? He wasn't asking them to be interested in his life, so why did they feel the need to voice their disgust when it had absolutely nothing to do with them and their love was in no way threatening their way of life?
But despite it all, he had Jungkook. He had the boys too and they were always by his side, giving him strength and support. He wasn't alone anymore, so why should he care what some jealous, pitiful strangers thought of his sexual orientation or his choices in life?
And being with Jungkook and the others these past two weeks had been bliss.
Yes, he still had a lot to do with practice and work, trying to balance it with his friends and boyfriend. Sometimes it worked, sometimes he missed them terrible when he was too busy at the diner or with practicing for the upcoming performance. Okay, well, at least he had Jungkook training with him whenever the younger could make time. Studying three major however, meant he also had a lot of work to do.
But things had changed drastically for Jimin.
He made other friends next to the boys.
He greeted Taemin and Kai with handshakes and wide grins, sometimes met them for lunch or had a quick coffee with them after school. He also got to meet Leonie, Tae's best friend and boy, Jin had been right. He adored her. She was stunningly beautiful as he he'd said but more than that, she was both sweet, funny and utterly ridiculous, just what Jimin loved. She had him wrapped around his finger the moment they were introduced. She had beamed at him, then asked if she could give him a hug because she was so happy he had made such progress and was happy with Jungkook. It was incredibly heartwarming to hear, but the fact that she'd asked before falling around his neck had made him not only respect her but feel completely safe around her. No stuttering, no turning red, nothing. And he had found his new hobby as well, which was teasing her. She was super cute when she was teased.
He met her boyfriend Baekhyun as well. And even though he still felt terrible for Tae and wanted to help, Baekhyun had to be funniest, most adorable boy he'd ever met. He truly was like his cousin, if not way more childish, if that was even possible. And he saw the way he and Leonie smiled at each other, hugged and held hands. Never more than that, almost as if they knew it would hurt Tae if he saw them kiss or be more intimate. It made it so much harder to hate them for being together.
One Wednesday evening, when they had thrown a little part, he also met other people, including Baekhyun's childhood friend Chanyeol, the two of them inseparable, even when Leonie was around, but the brunette girl didn't seem to care, smiled even more brightly when she saw them have fun together. She truly was an angel.
But of course, just because he had finally opened up and made friends, he didn't forget about the people that had been by his side before. He often had Min-Woo sit at the diner table with the others when it wasn't busy and they all got along great. Hell, even he and Jungkook had started talking without threats and insinuation, although they still enacted in some heavy staring contests. For some reason though, he had the weird feeling Min-Woo secretly liked Jungkook. And Jungkook's jealousy over the boy felt more like a little game now. A game he kept up because that was simply enjoying it.
And then there was Misses Yang- oh boy... She never shut up, being her ridiculous self and making him turn red, bantering with him until Jimin gave up with a groan or simply made him laugh by being her ridiculous, dramatic self. He would never be able to put in words how thankful he was to have her in his life. She'd been the first. The first one he trusted after Seong-Min and his brother. The first one he had allowed to hug him. The first to make him smile again when it had seemed like he could never do so again. The first to heal some of the broken pieces of his heart. The first to put her faith in him. To not stop believing he could get better.
Without her, he didn't know if he could have gotten to the point he was now:
Surrounded by friends who loved him for who he was. Opening up to others too, his stuttering and blushing almost non-existing and slowly he got used to the attention too. Was able to blend out the negativity of some and learned to appreciate the support and encouragement he got from others.
And of course there was Jungkook.
His boyfriend.
The person he loved.
The one who had made all of this possible for him. Who had pushed and pushed him too let go of his past and he had. He truly had, no longer letting his life be ruled by fear and pain. It was still there of course, but it was no longer pain, merely the memory of it and that, he could live with.
Those two weeks with him had been utter bliss. Jungkook was all Jimin could have ever hoped for. Understanding, patient, loving, kind and at the same time wholly indecent and dirty-minded. And now that they were officially a couple, he made sure everyone knew just how much he loved him and that he was completely off limits to others. God, his jealousy was both a little overwhelming at times, but also prove of how protective and in love he was with Jimin. Jungkook had not stopped telling him how happy he was- how much he loved him and how proud and amazed he was by his little boyfriend.
And Jimin... he was happy. He was finally, utterly happy and he owed it all to them. To his friends, his boyfriend, the rainbow-haired boy who treated him like a real younger brother and an old, wrinkled lady who took in a shy, broken boy and made him smile again.
And he owed it to himself.
He was no longer a little bird. He was a swan now.
****
The End
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Ha! Just kidding, it ain't over yet 😂
***
Jungkook grabbed his wrist and pulled him down on the bench next to him, then leaned over to place a deep kiss on his lips.
"Sit. There's barely anyone here, and Jina has that dude on the counter covered."
Jimin snorted and shot a glance to the blond girl flirting with the dangerous looking biker-guy over the counter, he boobs hanging out again and Jimin would not be the least bit surprised to see her leave with him when her shift was over.
He sighed, then leaned back into the bench and the arm around him, Jungkook holding him close.
"So," Jimin started, facing the others. They had all come, plus Leonie sitting between Tae and Yoongi.
"What are you guys doing?" he asked, nodding to the tons of paper in front of them on the table.
"Oh," Leonie screeched out excitedly, clapping her hands. "We're planning a trip!"
"A trip?"
"Yea," Tae nodded vigorously. "I printed out all the possible places we could go to next week to celebrate Chuseok."
Jimin's eyebrows shot up. Right, it was Chuseok next week. He'd totally forgotten.
"But isn't Chuseok a family holiday?" he pointed out. Just because he would certainly not go back to see his, the other's should.
Namjoon, who sat across him shot him a wide smile and then shrugged his shoulders.
"Yeah. And we are a family, so why not celebrate it together?"
Jimin's heart swelled with love. He didn't know if he could ever get used to this. Of having a family again. Not one of blood but of choice.
"I thought you could take a few days off?" Jungkook said from his side, a happy grin on his face. "I already talked to Min-Woo about it. He said he'll take your shift and it won't be a problem."
"You talked to Min-Woo and didn't rip his head off?"
"Hey," the younger complained, but there was a glitter to his eyes. "I'm not that bad!"
"Yea, you kinda are," Yoongi dryly remarked.
Jimin sat there with a massive smile as he watched them banter.
"So, you in?" came Hoseok's questions to Jimin. He didn't have to think long, nodding his head quickly. "Of course I will. Not like I got any other plans."
He'd meant it as a joke, but felt the taller hug him a little closer.
"Now you do," he only replied seriously.
For the next ten minutes, there was a massive discussion about where they could go.
Leonie had some great ideas and also mentioned Baekhyun and Chanyeol would go with them. Jimin's mood fell a little and his attention unwantedly landed on Tae. He always sought out her closeness, the two of them always sitting side by side when they were together. And when Leo wasn't looking, he saw the longing shimmer in his eyes. But the moment the girl looked back at him, the boxy wide grin slipped onto his face. It was so convincing, even Jimin had his doubts. Still... while he really liked both Baekhyun and Chanyeol, he didn't like the idea of making this holiday so hard for Tae. He should be able to enjoy it without having to see the girl he loved and his cousin be happy together.
The bell on the door jingled and Jimin looked up to see a guy with a black baseball-cap enter the diner.
Jina saw him too, but to no surprise, she simply ignored him and went back to flirt shamelessly with the guy. And since it was Min-Woo's day off, there was only him.
"I'll be right back guys," he let out and with a quick kiss from Jungkook, got up to take the customers order.
The other's fell back into the heavy discussion once more and Jimin hurried to the counter to wrap the ugly apron around his waist, grabbed a pen and paper and went over to where the guy had sat at the far corner of the diner, staring out the window.
Jimin had gotten a lot better at his job as well, able to speak more confidently and even look the customers in their eyes.
They guy didn't turn his head, even though he must have surely heard him walk over. He was dressed in black pants and a grey hoody, the black cap drawn low into his face.
"What can I get you, Sir?" He asked, the pen already set on the pad.
The guy sighed and grabbed the menu card in front of him, then opened it and studied it for a long time. His annoyance grew. It wasn't like there was lot of choice and he really wanted to get back to his friends and Jungkook.
"The pan-fried eggs with mushrooms and cheese are pretty good. Fries are always a good choice as well," Jimin offered, hoping to make this get over faster. But the guy only kept scanning the card. Jimin could see nothing of his face, only a few strands of jet-back hair peeking through at his temple.
"Well, I can come back in a few moments if you need some more time," Jimin found himself saying, being the polite waiter he had to be.
The guy sighed again, then set down the card. Finally.
"No," he let out and Jimin froze at the sound. It sounded.. familiar. But he had to be imaging things. People from his school still had no idea he was working here.
"Then... what do you want?" Jimin let out, his irritation with this guy growing.
There was another long silence, and then a low chuckle.
The blood in his veins froze. He knew that laugh. It was impossible. He was imagining things. It couldn't be.
But then the guy raised his head to look up at Jimin and his heart stopped beating in his chest as he looked at the face that haunted his nightmares. A face he thought he never had to see again, smiling at him broadly.
"I know exactly what I want, Jimin-ah. And it's already right in front of me."
Jimin dropped his pad and the pen, fear and pain paralyzing him as he stared down at the boy.
And in a broken whisper he heard himself breath out: "Seong-Min."
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Ha, And the villain makes an appearance, didn't expect that, did ya?