Q/A: If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
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Taehyung chuckled, "My brother and I are twins."
"Twins!?" Jimin jumped in shock. Never in a million years did he expected that Taehyung and his brother were twins!
"Hah?" Sung Hoon was also startled. "For real? Then your brother looks just like you?"
Taehyung smiled, "I think I'm more handsome than he is."
Jimin: "......"
"You really are a narcissist," Sung Hoon jested. "What school does your brother go to?"
Taehyung: "He's overseas, been there since small."
Jimin recalled the rumors he heard before, then asked, "You and your brother didn't go to school together?"
Taehyung: "Nope. I've always studied in China."
Sung Hoon also thought it was strange: "Why? Don't twins usually grow up together? Your parents had the heart to separate you two?"
Taehyung was silent for a few seconds, staring at his phone as he said in a soft voice, "My parents got divorced. He went with dad, I went with mom."
Sung Hoon & Jimin: "......"
Now, Jimin understood why no one knew how Taehyung's brother looked, and why very few people brought up his brother's existence.
And right now, Taehyung also gave off a miserable feel, like a poor boy who grew up in a broken family. Thus, Jimin and Sung Hoon stopped their questioning.
But towards Taehyung's brother, Jimin was still quite curious, and after a few minutes, he asked, "Do you have your brother's photo?"
Taehyung blinked, then replied, "No."
There was no way he wouldn't have his brother's picture, but it was clear that Taehyung didn't want to talk about this, and Jimin no longer pursed the topic.
Plus, going by what Taehyung said, his brother probably didn't resemble him, and with years of separation, their lives shouldn't have intersected much.
Thinking of this, Jimin let out the breath he held.
But even he couldn't pinpoint exactly why it was such a earth-shattering shock to hear that Taehyung had a twin brother.
Perhaps it was because he was a die-hard fan of Taehyung's face, and imagining that there was another person who looked just like Taehyung, Jimin felt chaotically ambivalent. He even randomly wondered, if he met Taehyung's brother, would his heart feel just as flustered, would he grow just as excited......
If that did happen, then how was he any different from an animal?
However, after carefully analyzing his feelings, he acknowledged that Taehyung was much more than merely a "pretty face" to him.
Despite his realization in middle school that he was gay, it was only after that time at the TV station that he found out he had feelings for Taehyung. That was a turning point in his life, an event that allowed him to accept his true self without any struggles.
And after that, he kept falling deeper and deeper
Therefore, Taehyung was special, someone who accompanied him through his long and tedious years of puberty, someone who inspired him to continuously work hard, someone who again and again, comforted the needs of his body and soul.
That Jimin reached where he was today, became who he was today, Taehyung played an integral role.
As Jimin did this self-reflection, he mechanically stuffed his trash into a plastic bag.
At this moment, Sung Hoon interrupted his ruminations with: "Oi, your military training uniform, you're throwing it away?"
"Why not?" Jimin picked up a corner and looked at it with disdain, "Why should I keep it? As a souvenir?"
The school had handed out 2 sets of uniforms for everyone, and in the 1st few days, Jimin still washed and changed his daily, but by the end, he was way too tired to care. Other people weren't any better, and some people's had been so soaked and re-soaked in sweat that under the sun, granules of salt would appear as it dried.
Looking at the wrinkled clothes, Jimin didn't want to keep these for another minute.
Sung Hoon laughed, "If you don't want it, then give them to me!"
Taehyung looked over the railing again and asked in an incredulous tone, "What? You're even collecting military uniforms?"
Sung Hoon lifted his head: "That's right lol. Also yours, you haven't thrown it out yet, right? Give them to me too!"
"These clothes are so cheap in quality that after 14 days, they're practically scraps. Who's going to buy these?" Taehyung made a face. "Besides, I haven't washed mine."
But he had clearly misunderstood Sung Hoon's intentions, because he heard the other say: "Don't wash it, don't wash it. Leaving it in its original state is best."
Hearing this, Jimin immediately asked, "What exactly are you planning to do?"
Sung Hoon: "Sell these to your fangirls."
Taehyung and Jimin felt like their minds had just been shattered, completely unable to understand this level of insanity. Both their faces contorted.
Sung Hoon started laughing like a crazy person: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA......"
"Fucking hell......" Taehyung buried his face in his pillow, feeling disgusted, yet the other's laughter was too infectious. "Sung Hoon, you pervert!"
Jimin promptly tied up the trash bag, went directly downstairs, and threw everything away, fearing that if he was a step too slow, Sung Hoon would steal them back for immoral purposes.
When Jimin returned, Sung Hoon showed them the prank post he made on the forum: "Look, a lot of people are mad, but there's also plenty who want to buy your stuff!"
Taehyung & Jimin: "......"
Taehyung took a closer look and asked with disbelief, "You counted how many bottles of water I drank?"
Sung Hoon: "You really think I'm insane, don't you! I randomly made up that number."
Taehyung: "Thought so... 14 days, 7-8 bottles a day, I definitely drank more than 68."
Sung Hoon: "......" That's what you focused on?
Jimin seemed to have realized something, and after looking around the room, questioned, "What happened to those 2 mats?"
Sung Hoon scratched his head, replying somewhat guiltily, "Eh, I forgot to tell you guys. I already sold those."
Jimin raised an eyebrow: "To who?"
Sung Hoon: "Two girls......from our class."
Taehyung and Jimin both did a spit take!
Then, they hounded Sung Hoon until he promised to never do such a thing again, before finally letting the other off.
Taehyung went back to the forum to browse and discovered that a few of his rumors had already started making some headway there.
He muttered to himself a bit, then asked Jimin, "G, the upperclassman you talked to last time who said she'd introduce me to someone from the internet department, can you ask her to help me do so right now?"
"Eh? Oh......" Jimin was currently reading the news, so without paying much attention, picked up his phone and sent A Yeon's contact info to Taehyung. "You can add her directly, I've already given her a heads-up."
On Sunday, the girls in their class organized another trip to the movies, and after @ing the entire class, some people also separately sent requests:
Yo handsome, come with us! @Taehyung @Jimin
This time, they didn't have a reason to refuse.
Sung Hoon was off who knows where, and QiBum was gaming and didn't want to leave. They also went next door to ask their neighbors; some just said that they could pirate the movie in a few months and didn't want to spend the money now, while others didn't like the movie the girls had chosen.
In the end, there were only 4 guys who were going.
They waited at the school gates, and when the girls arrived, they saw an entire crowd.
They've all gotten familiar with each other's faces, but before, everyone was wearing military uniforms. Now, they had the chance to dress up and show off their individual tastes, and every girl went all out, wanting to look their best.
Some of the girls looked pretty plain in military uniforms, but now in a dress, heels, and make-up, they became very pretty.
The other 2 guys who came with them looked elated at the prospects of being surrounded by beautiful girls.
As a group, they walked to the theater closest to campus. One of the girls had ordered tickets online and decided to have everyone pay after getting drinks and snacks.
There was a milk tea store nearby, but it wasn't big enough for them all to go in at once. Thus, the recently crowned Campus Idol, Taehyung, got nominated to go buy for the group.
"Let Taehyung go!"
"Right right, let the Campus Idol go! Use your smile and win over the person selling milk tea!"
One of the guys glanced inside the store and said, "The person at the counter's a guy, so why are we asking Taehyung to go? Should we be sending a beautiful girl instead?"
Hearing this, everyone laughed, and someone piped up, "No need, no need. Our Taehyung can win over both males and females!"
Taehyung also joined in the joking: "Even if I can, what good would that do? Would he give me a discount on account of my face?"
Some of the girls began doubling over to the point of almost falling down.
Seeing that the movie was about to start, Taehyung quickly agreed, "Alright, alright. I'll go buy. What do you all want?"
"I want kumquat lemon tea! With ice!"
"I want pudding milk tea!"
"A large milk tea, 3 of them!"
"Loving couple milk tea!"
"Wait, wait a bit...... I can't memorize all of these!" Taehyung didn't know what to do and turned to Jimin: "Help me out ok!"
After giving him a look that said, "You need help for something this simple?", Jimin sighed, pulled out his phone, opened the recording function, and announced to the girls, "One at a time, say what you want. If you mess up, you'll have to stick with it. Let's start."
Everyone else: "......"
Taehyung suddenly felt like he'd just been looked down upon as an idiot.
After recording, Jimin went in with Taehyung to help. After all, 10-some cups of milk tea was a bit much for one person to transport.
When they finished buying and the girls wanted to pay him back, Taehyung refused and said, "Forget it, it's my treat." If everyone had gone in themselves, then obviously each person would pay for their own. But since they sent him to buy for the group and he's already paid, there's no need to ask for that money back.
The group was grateful, if a bit embarrassed, and seeing this, Taehyung winked and said, "In exchange, you guys can cover my ticket price."
One of the girls dramatically clutched her chest and exclaimed, "Taehyung, hold back will you, stop spraying out your pheromones! Your power's too strong!"
Taehyung: "......"
Being classmates with the Campus Idol was quite the wild ride.
Perhaps due to them being journalism majors, the movie the girls chose had a controversial topic that made you think. The film talked about the conflict between families who've "lost" their children and the families who adopted children that had been "found", though the focus was more on the law vs. one's ethics.
The movie was made by a large studio and a famous director, a tragedy with good actors.
When it reached the heartbreaking moments, Jimin saw quite a few girls secretly wiping away tears. He sat next to Taehyung and also felt that the other was very engrossed in this film.
There was a couple whose child disappeared, which led to them arguing and fighting over whose responsibility it was. Finally, the female actor playing the mother broke down and knelt on the ground, crying while apologizing: "I'm sorry, I'm the one who lost our child."
During this, Jimin noticed that Taehyung was clenching his milk tea cup. He didn't drink from it, merely holding it tightly with his eyes glued to the screen.
When the movie ended and the lights turned on, Jimin was surprised to see that Taehyung's eyes were also red.
Because a lot of people cried, no one had the energy to worry about others. While immersed in their own melancholy, they all slowly made their way outside while discussing the plot.
Only Jimin noticed Taehyung softly say, "I'm going to the restroom."
A lot of people also went to the restroom, but Taehyung didn't go to the one near the theater's exit. Instead, he went downstairs.
Jimin paused, then followed him.
Taehyung entered the restroom on the lower level, and compared to the crowded one near the exit, this one seemed fairly empty.
When Jimin pushed open the door, there was only Taehyung inside, leaning over the sink while washing his face.
Hearing the noise, Taehyung turned his reddened eyes towards the source: "......"
Jimin: "......"
Taehyung quickly lowered his face and continued washing as he feigned calm: "Why are you here too?"
Jimin: "Too many people upstairs."
Taehyung: "......Oh."
Jimin walked up to a urinal. He knew that most guys were too shy to show their weaker sides to others. Though the Taehyung just then seemed, for some reason, rather cute.
After he finished his business, Jimin turned around and saw that Taehyung had his hands against the wall, staring at his reflection in the mirror, looking vexed.
Since he's already been seen, there wasn't a point in hiding anymore, thus Taehyung explained, "It was really moving......this movie."
But hearing his somewhat off-pitch voice, Jimin only wanted to smile.
He finally understood the feelings of those motherly types. Seeing Taehyung right now, even he wanted to go over and give the other a hug.
"......Were you not moved?" Taehyung lowered his voice and asked, wanting to use conversing with Jimin to lighten his own mood.
"I was," Jimin replied while washing his hands.
But it was merely that. Honestly speaking, Jimin didn't understand why some people cried so easily, but that didn't prevent him from enjoying this rarely seen and frail side to Taehyung.
Taehyung shot the expressionless Jimin a glance, then angrily huffed, "You don't look any different from usual."
After he said that, a tissue appeared before his face.
While rejoicing that these tissues could finally be of use to Taehyung, Jimin deliberately asked, "Was it the scene where female apologized for losing her child the one that moved you?"
The emotions that Taehyung finally suppressed flared up at Jimin's question. He took the tissues, and as that scene once again played in his mind, tears swam in his eyes.
Jimin: "......"
Was...it really that touching a moment?
Taehyung wanted to curse this weak self of his. He hid his eyes behind the tissues, hoping that his tears would hurry up and disappear before he lost even more dignity.
Yet unexpectedly, just as he leaned back his head, something wrapped around his body......
Someone hugged him.
No one except Jimin was present, so the person who hugged him, could only be Jimin.
Realizing this fact, Taehyung's tears evaporated from the shock!
But before he could properly savor this abrupt feeling of happiness, he felt something gently slap his butt.
......!
............EH???
Following that, he heard Jimin say next to his ear in a deadpan voice: "There's no need to cry, it's just a movie."
Taehyung: ".................."
Afterwards, the girls organized for everyone to go eat together.
No one quite knew how Taehyung and Jimin rejoined the group, including the people themselves.
Taehyung was rendered completely dumbstruck by that hug. He originally thought that the super straight Jimin was someone very opposed to physical contact, but looking at it now, that didn't seem to be the case.
Furthermore, he's been able to feel Jimin lowering his guard these past few days. The other didn't look like someone who had a sense of humor, but recently, he's even started to make some jokes.
He speculated that Jimin wasn't cold and aloof, but rather, someone who warmed up to others very slowly.
But even this couldn't make him forget that a certain body part of his was touched, or the strange sensation left behind on said body part that's persisted until now......
Normally, when straight guys comforted each other, they'd at most pat the other's shoulder or back, right?
......Was tapping someone's butt also a form of comfort?
During dinner, he and Jimin weren't next to each other as another male classmate sat between them. Taehyung forced himself to resist throwing strange looks at Jimin, but in the end, he couldn't stop himself from glancing at the other out of his peripheral vision.
Jimin looked exactly as he always did, expressionless and calm.
Taehyung suddenly recalled what Jimin said to him after making a joke during the new students welcoming ceremony:
"It's not like you can tell."
It's not...like you...can tell......
Ha, hahaha......
Taehyung fell into a gloomy contemplation.
—
[A small interlude]
Taehyung: "I think I'm more handsome than he is."
Taeyang: *insert weird slang/pun insult—
Jimin: "Do you have your brother's photo?"
Taehyung: "......No." What if Minnie ends up liking my brother? Before I've captured his heart, I'm not going to add rivals for myself. After all, a certain person once stole away someone who liked me first, goddammit!
—
Taehyung: "You don't look any different from usual."
Jimin hands over tissues.
Taehyung: "......" My god! Jimin actually gave me tissues! I'm so moved I could cry! (Q_Q)
[[Ultimate Tease Jimin strikes again! Poor, innocent Taehyung didn't know what hit him! Will this dastardly criminal continue his theft spree of our little Taehyung's heart?!!
Author's notes: Taehyung fell into a gloomy contemplation about grabbing Jimin by the shoulders and shaking him a few times, then asking him what exactly the fuck he meant by doing what he did!]]
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