A year and few months ago
The entire week has been extremely hectic. Jimin hasn't had time to take a proper meal. Namjoon and Jin have been off on their honeymoon for the week after their beautiful wedding. This has left him in charge of managing the entire cafe and the Kim residence. At first he was confident that he would come out of the experience with flying colors. After all, how hard can it be? It's only a cafe and a home.
Then reality came slapping him across his face.
He had no idea that Jin used to wake up two hours before their reporting time to open the doors, check the inventory and start the machinery. With Jimin being a night owl, first day as the manager he was already suffering. Adding to the list of woes was managing the staff. Every now and then, fights broke out and he had to swoop in before it turned nasty. Though Jungkook was trying his best to be there for him and help him through the day, he soon realized that he might have bit more than he can chew. There were also the occasional unsatisfied and problematic customers who deliberately called for the 'manager' even for the most trivial flaw.
By the end of the week, Jimin was done for. Every cell in his body was sore. It took him a ridiculous amount of effort just to get himself a glass of water. He was constantly scowling and always in a bad mood, which was so unlike him. To make matters worse, Taehyung, he felt did not even try to understand his situation because he frequently complained that Jimin wasn't giving him enough time.
On Wednesday evening, he completely lost it.
"Taehyung! The least you can do is understand. Don't you see how difficult it is for me manage the cafe and the house? Why are you being such a pain in the ass?", Jimin screamed as he was cleaning the kitchen counter, at the younger who was seated at the dining table. Taehyung wanted some strawberries but they were out. Jimin suggested that they get some when they go grocery shopping, but Taehyung wanted some now.
"TaeTae", he corrected, pointing at his chest. "B-bad word", Taehyung added, beginning to get agitated with Jimin's increasing tone.
"Yes, I am gonna use bad word if you are gonna behave bad", Jimin yelled back.
"M-Minnie getting mad. Tae-Tae doesn't like Minnie mad", Tae fidgeted in his seat, rubbing his hands together and swaying sideways.
"Yes I am mad. Can't you eat something else for now? We have other fruits. Why does it always have to be strawberries?", he screamed back, causing the younger to flinch and curl in on himself.
"I am sorry M-Minnie", Tae whispered genuinely but Jimin was too blinded by his rage to care. "You should be", is all he replied.
"M-Minnie come to Tae-Tae? TaeTae has something to give", Tae asked hopefully, making grabby hands towards the older. But Jimin was so irritated and tired and frustrated and enraged that he simply rinsed his hand and stormed off from the kitchen leaving the younger staring at his retreating figure with wide, confused eyes.
Why can't Taehyung be more understanding? Why does he have to behave like a spoilt brat? He questioned as he continued to walk until he reached the backyard and plopped down on one of the wooden deck chairs laid out on the porch. He closed his eyes and tried to compose himself. As he inhaled the cold air deeply and exhaled quietly, his muscles which were causing him to scowl relaxed. Slowly, As he regained his composure, an image of Taehyung making grabby hands and looking extremely sad and confused flashed before his eyes. A cold wave of guilt washed over him. He felt disgusted with how he behaved with the younger. What was Taehyung's fault in all this? How could I dump all my frustration on him? He wanted to run and pull the younger into a tight hug, but he didn't. He didn't know how could he face him after what he did.
Jimin had promised himself that he would always protect Taehyung no matter what, but ended up hurting him instead simply because he couldn't manage his responsibilities efficiently. It was hard for him to believe that he hurt Taehyung when all the younger wanted was to eat some strawberries. Jimin sat up and pulled at his hair because he was truly ashamed of how he behaved. He tried to come up with ways to express how sorry he truly felt and by the time he decided he should first simply apologize, two hours had already gone by.
Tiptoeing, he made his way in. The house was quiet, too quiet for his liking. With Taehyung around, the house was always buzzing with jazz music, but now it was all gone and an eerie silence had settled down in every nook and corner. It made him uneasy. He looked around the kitchen, the dining area and the living room, but he couldn't find Taehyung anywhere. As his guilt turned into anxiety, he dashed up the stairs and burst open the door leading to the younger's bedroom. There was he, in the warm dim light, Taehyung was sitting. Not on his bed, but on the floor at the foot of the bed and staring into the distance. He was fidgeting with something in his hands, but Jimin couldn't make it from his place at the door.
"M-Minnie, Am I too difficult to love?", Taehyung's baritone voice pierced through the stillness of the room. There was no contempt or malice in his voice, just a sad longing. It ripped Jimin's heart to pieces. He immediately made his way and plopped down beside him.
"Baby, no. I am sorry. I truly am sorry for raising my voice. For not giving you time. For not being a good person", Jimin said, as hot streams of tears flowed down the corner of his eyes.
"It's not you M-Minnie. It's me. TaeTae doesn't deserve to be loved because I am different. Not like the others. It's too difficult to love and stay with TaeTae. Minnie should go and love someone else. Someone normal. Someone who is not TaeTae". For the first time, Taehyung looked him in the eyes and held the gaze.
"No baby. I only love you. My heart is already with you. I cannot imagine my life without you in it. I am sorry I treated you so badly. You didn't deserve that. You deserve to be loved and worshipped", Jimin was breaking down now, his speech dotted by multiple uncontrollable sobs.
"Grandma and Grandpa had a strawberry farm", Taehyung began, now looking down as his hand which held a small object. Jimin looked at the younger through misty eyes, wiping the streaming tears with the back of his hand. "When TaeTae and Hyungie lived with our parents, grandma used to bring strawberries over. I was too little, maybe two or three years old. She used to bring lots of strawberries and we used to all eat them together at the table. Me, Hyungie, Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa. I wasn't different back then. So my mom and dad used to love me like they loved Hyungie. This is the only good memory I have of all of us together. Eating strawberries. That's why it's always strawberries. Because they bring back good memories, even for a second", Taehyung finished, still looking down at his lap where the object now sat.
Jimin was left speechless. Tears started pooling in his eyes again. He pulled the younger into a tight hug and made himself home in the crook of his neck.
"We will make more happy memories my Moon, but we will keep the old ones too. Thanks for sharing it with me. It must have been so difficult for you to share. I am extremely sorry for how I behaved today. Though I don't deserve it, but I still want to ask for a second chance. I will not let you down", Jimin cupped the younger's face between his palm and begged him with his eyes.
"S-second chance?", Taehyung asked.
"Please give me a second chance my moon. I will give it my all. Can't say that I won't fight with you, but after every fight, I will love you harder. And I promise with my life, that I will never ever leave you", Jimin's eyes sparkled with a new found flame of determination.
"H-here take this", Taehyung pushed the object he had been holding towards Jimin, who took it and observed. It was a brown box made out of wood. There were intricate carvings on top of it and it looked antique and expensive.
"What is this?"
"It's a S-second chance."
Slowly and taking extra caution he opened the box. There, sitting on a purple cushion was a beautiful ring. It was a gold band with a big solitaire nestled at the very center. It lustrous breaking the monotone of the room, the most gorgeous thing Jimin had ever seen.
"Moon-", he began, trying hard to verbalize his internal chaos. Too many questions were bouncing off in his head, but Taehyung silenced them all.
"Here's your second chance Minnie. Will you be mine forever?"
_____
A/N:
How have you been guys? I am so sorry to keep you waiting. I know it's been a while, but I will try to update every two days until the book is over. Unfortunately only a few chapters remain. But I hope to give you an ending that you will cherish forever.
Hope you like the new update. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
-mystiqueforce