Chapter 13: Truth hurts
"I love you." Jimin utters. His eyes grow big and he slips the words out. He was not prepared for that. His breath hitches, but he gasps when he hears the words Jungkook says.
"I love you too."
Jungkook's eyes widened at his own words. He parts his lips, still looking at Jimin who's staring back at him with a shocked expression.
"What did y-you just say?" Jimin asks faintly. He actually feels like he can pass out if Jungkook is not holding his waist. Is this even real? Did Jungkook really just say that? Jungkook loves him too?
Jungkook's breath hitches as if he's back to his consciousness. He lets go of Jimin's waist and steps back before he unknowingly scratches his nape. "Y-you're my best friend, so o-of course, I-I love you."
"Oh." Jimin utters faintly. He looks down at the view outside the cabin, not being able to face Jungkook now. The beautiful sunset is in contrast with the pang he feels in his chest. The calm and relaxing atmosphere is being replaced with tension. Jimin can't move. He wishes he can take it back, so he doesn't need to remember what just happened. Getting slammed in the friend zone right after he confessed. Trying his best to hold to tears, Jimin keeps on gulping. It's his trick to make the tears go away.
"Looks like we're almost done with the round." Jungkook looks somewhere else too as he also feels the tension of what just happened. What was that? Some sort of feelings have been happening to him with Jimin pretty often.
"Mhm." Jimin can't think of anything to say other than that. He wishes the round goes faster.
Silent fills the whole cabin. The two are not even trying to speak anything. They just keep it that way. When the round is finally over, Jimin is the one who gets out immediately before Jungkook.
"Jimin, where are you going?" Jungkook raises his voice calling out to his best friend, wondering why Jimin is walking so fast like he's mad.
"I'm going to the restroom." Jimin replies without turning his face to Jungkook, not slowing down his walk either. "Don't follow. I need some air." The smaller boy walks away as fast, leaving Jungkook to stand there right on the same spot.
Jimin walks to the bathroom. Locking himself up in one of the rooms, he lets his tears fall down. Can't stop thinking about the fact that he just confessed and got rejected. How can he erase that memory of Jungkook's three words without having hope because It felt so real. How Jungkook said it, his serious big doe eyes were screaming love to him. How can he forget? For a moment, he believed Jungkook didn't say those three words in a best friend manner, but who would have the nerve to think that way when Jungkook was making it so clear. Painfully clear. His best friend is acting normal like nothing ever happened.
Like Jungkook did not stare at him like he adores him so much.
Like Jungkook did not look like he was mesmerized staring at him.
Like Jungkook did not kiss him so passionately in that cabin.
Other than pain, Jimin is also angry. At himself, at Jungkook, at how they start this thing and mostly at how he can never be enough for Jungkook no matter how hard he tries. The fact that he's leaving soon and Jungkook touching someone else makes him mad. Painfully mad like he's about to explode. Jimin cries really hard and he can't breathe. Hitting on his chest and pinching on his skin, hoping the pain can go away. Jimin starts hitting on the bathroom wall to release his anger, not caring if there's any other people in the bathroom.
Jimin's eyes turn aggressive when he's not even sure who or what he is being angry at. Keeps on crying without knowing when is it going to end, he's interrupted by a familiar voice belonging to the boy he needed the most, but also wishes he's not here.
"Jimin-ah?" It's Jungkook. "Jimin, are you in here?" Jungkook walks and checks on every room before he stops right at the only room that's locked.
Jimin tries hardest not to make noise. He climbs on the toilet bowl, so Jungkook can't see his shoes.
"Jimin?" Jungkook pauses a little for the answer. "Park Jimin!!" He's sure he saw Jimin walking in here. "If you're not coming out or making any sound, I'm going to break in there."
How can Jimin make a sound when he can't even stop crying. Jungkook will be able to tell from his heavily nasal hoarse voice. Jungkook would break in anyways whether he makes any sound or not.
"On three, Jimin. One." Jungkook informs. "Two. And I'm breaking in. The-"
"Jungkook!" He's interrupted by Taehyung. Thank god. "If he doesn't want to come out, just let him be."
"Why wouldn't he want to come out?" Jungkook raises his voice.
"Because sometimes Jimin likes to chill in the bathroom?" Taehyung knows it's the most stupid thing he could think of at the moment.
Jungkook can't say anything back. It's not a stupid question. Jungkook knows by heart that Jimin likes to lock himself up in the bathroom sometimes. Not as a habit, but it happens only when he's upset. Jimin is upset.
"But he's not making any sound. What if he passed out or something? He was a viking many times, and he's scared of heights. We shouldn't have gone up to that furr-" And Jungkook is cut off again.
"Jimin-ah, if it's you, and if you're conscious, just tap on the wall 3 times." Taehyung orders, and then the two boys can hear the sound of a hand banging on the wall three times. "Alright. Got it. We'll be waiting outside."
"Why do you have to pull this shit? Do you know how your friends can be concerned? Stop being childish." Jungkook yells.
And it makes Jimin cry even more. Why does Jungkook have to guess that he might not be ok with everything else but his own actions.
Why does Jungkook need to yell at him like that?
"Jungkook, why don't you come outside with me? Namjoon needs help with holding these plushies he won while waiting for us." Yoongi who's been quiet this whole time taps on Jungkook's shoulder. Jungkook obeys as he frowns.
"You're not coming?" Jungkook asks Taehyung who's standing still.
"I'll follow after I pee. Why? You're gonna watch me when I do it?" Taehyung smirks playfully.
"Gross." Jungkook says before he walks away with Yoongi.
Taehyung makes sure they're gone completely. He crosses his arms, laying his back on the door of the room Jimin is in. "They're gone. You should be thankful I saw you walking furiously in here."
"Thank *hc* y-you." Jimin says as he comes down from the toilet bowl.
"Wanna tell me about it?" Taehyung asks calmly.
Jimin unlocks the door before he comes out. He looks at Taehyung before he smacks himself into his soulmate.
"There you go. Let it all out." Taehyung rubs Jimin's head gently.
"*hic* H-He kissed m-me when the wheel was *hic* was a-at 12, a-and *hic* I confessed, a-and *hic*..." Jimin just can't finish his sentence thinking of everything that just happened. He keeps on crying and crying. It takes him almost 15 minutes to finally stop crying.
Taehyung's shirt is all wet with Jimin's tears. "Wanna talk about it now?"
Jimin shakes his head. "He kissed me on the ferris wheel, and for some reason, you know the atmosphere, so I confessed, but I don't think he knows."
"What?! What do you mean?"
Jimin looks around the bathroom to check again, but he sees no one. It's all clear. "I said I love him, and then he said he loves me too. For a second, I thought he meant the same thing I meant, but then he threw me in the friendzone again." Jimin says as he massages his temple. "But Tae, his eyes, and the way he kissed, it's different. It's been different, recently, so I have my hopes up every time. Sometimes it feels like he loves me too."
"Should you talk to him about it?" Taehyung frowns. "Honestly, I think you should somehow get closure."
"I need closure. I really do. I've been trying to get over him, but I can't deny his touch. I want to feel it more and more. I will also miss him so badly too. I'm so not ready to be so far away from him. I won't get to see Jungkook everyday anymore. I don't even know what to do Tae. I hate myself for not being good enough for him, and he will never look at me that way." Jimin really lets everything out in one go. He needs it. He's been keeping it to himself for too long.
"Jimin-ah. I know it must have been tough. We'll figure it all out with time, ok?" Taehyung pulls Jimin into a hug. "And you are so enough. If not for Jungkook, you'll be so close with someone out there. How about we focus on the party tonight? Let's throw yourself out in the market?"
"I mean. We can try, but again, Jungkook will have his ways to hold me back. He always does that."
"We're gonna try harder, and this is for your own good. We'll heal about Jungkook with time, together, but today I'm going to assign you a task." Taehyung smiles playfully.
"What task?"
"You're going to give 5 people your phone number tonight at the party."
"I thought it would be something difficult." Jimin rolls his eyes.
"I'm not done. Chanyeol is definitely going to be there tonight. You're going to make out with him." Taehyung knows because the boy asked him if Jimin's going to the party.
"I-I don't k-know." Jimin is not sure if he's ready for that.
"You'll do it. Now let's go, or they'll be suspicious. Especially, Jungkook."
"Yeah, I don't want to answer any more of his questions." Jimin leans on Taehyung's body frame as the taller boy wraps his arm around his shoulder, on their way out. "Also it hurts you know when he always complains about me making a big deal and all. I mean I get it. I'm never going to satisfy him."
"You're going by my car. I'll tell Yoongi hyung to go back with h-him." Taehyung stutters at his last word. His lips are parted. His breath hitched. The two boys freeze on their spots, seeing what's in front of them by the bathroom entrance.
Actually, it's who's standing in front of them.
"Jungkook?"
---------------------------------------------
End of chapter
A/N: The sentence in preview is coming up in a few chapter. <3