The two decided to skip the rest of classes and stay on the rooftop.
Hea already notified her uncle and gave a reason saying, she needed to help someone.
But in reality, Jimin needed a break. They both did.
They just sat next to each other in complete but comfortable silence.
That was, until Hea felt something on her shoulder. She looked down and saw Jimin sleeping.
What broke her heart was that this peaceful boy went through all of that at home plus anxiety which no doubt his parents helped to create.
She took her thumb and wiped the dry tears from his face since she was a bit taller than him.
"How can you think you're not good enough... You're literally the most perfect being I have ever seen." She whispered.
Hea fixed his hair properly and just stared at him.
She watched his peaceful breaths and the longer she did, the more she realized she couldn't live without him.
Then she thought about what she would've done if she was a second late.
No, she told herself. She wouldn't even think about it.
Hea swore to always protect him and make sure he knows he is worth it from now onwards.
She swore to never let him leave her side.
Because it would kill her if she lost him.
He is the only thing that's good in her life and there was no way she was gonna let him go that easily.
He made her life better. He made her see there was more to life than being just a troublemaker. He helped her become better. He made her calm in those situations where she raged.
And after doing all these things, Jimin thought about leaving. She wouldn't live without him.
'I will protect you from those people. I don't care to what lengths I have to go to; I will make sure you are safe. And this is my promise.'
And so it began.
Hea thought about every single thing she knows so far and tried to put the pieces together.
She knew she was onto something about Jimin's dad. She just had to find the correct thing to pick at. She began making a plan.
~
Jimin woke up and found himself on her shoulder. He blushed a bit but cleared his throat when the girl looked down at him.
"Awake?"
"Mhm." He sat straight.
"Wonderful. Cause school just ended." She told him getting up. Then offered him a hand.
"Grab your bag. Let's go."
Without hesitation, he took it and followed Hea out the school.
Jimin was alarmed when they turned to Jin's house direction and stopped.
"What happened?" She walked to him.
"We have to go to my house. Why aren't we going there?"
"I said before. I am never allowing you go there again. And you will listen to me Park Jimin." Hea said in a dominant tone.
Jimin protested.
"No Hea. I can't. They might look for me. They will look for me. What are they going to do when they find me? I don't even want to imagine that."
Hea noticed his breathing was becoming heavy. He was panicking.
In order to prevent another attack, she took both of his hands in hers.
"Jimin." She called him softly. "Look at me."
He did so with shaky eyes.
"Breathe, okay. It's all okay. Just breathe with me, baby."
He followed her breathing pattern and soon he calmed down.
"They are not going to get you. I promise you. I will make sure of that myself. I will protect you." She ruffled his hair.
"Thank you, Hea. Really, thank you so much for everything."
"You don't have to thank me Jimin. I am always here for you and always will be."
Jimin smiled gratefully at her.
"Okay! Now let's get you something to eat on the way to Jin's."
He was about to open his mouth, but she placed her finger on his lips.
"Nuh uh Baby Boy. We are getting you food and that's final. You have to eat."
She led him to a stall and fed him the snack since he refused to eat.
"Do you really want me to give this food with my mouth?" She asked him as he shut his mouth tight.
He was so cute right now; it took everything in her not to kiss him.
Jimin shook his head rapidly and opened his mouth.
"Good, Baby Boy." She fed him while once again, all he could do is stare at her.
"How are you so unbothered... With your problems?" Jimin asked, looking at her once they were done.
She sighed. "I just don't give them any attention. My family's fucked up yea and it's been like that for as long as I can remember. But I just pretend I am not a part of it. Focus myself with other things to get away from actuality. Sad part is; those things gave me a reputation of a bad person which I really am not."
He nodded understandingly.
"I understand you and honestly at first I thought you were like the rumors. But that's until you talked to me. You are kind and a really good friend. No one would ever think you have these problems."
She smiled at Jimin.
"Well you never know what problems someone has until you get to know them."
"That's true."
"Yep. Look, we're at Jin's."
"This is it. I am doing this." Jimin whispered to himself.
The man was already informed of their arrival by Hea and gladly welcomed the two of them.
"Thanks Jin hyung. For letting me stay over."
"Yah Jimin-ah. You're my younger brother, it's not a big deal. Come inside."
"And you know what's better?" Hea asked and looked at Jin.
"What?" Jimin eyed the two suspiciously.
"She's staying over too!" Jin announced.
"No way."
"Heck yeah way." The girl said and sat on the couch.
"Now now. You two know the rules; go get yourselves clean. Don't go sitting all up on my couch." Jin said sassily.
Hea chuckled and dragged Jimin along.
The two used separate bathrooms and changed.
Hea had on sweats like Jimin which she stole from Daniel's locker in school.
Her cousin would kill her when he found out but it's all cool.
Jungkook and Taehyung were in their rooms and ran out when they heard the two being here.
Jungkook held Jimin in a big back hug and refused to let go.
"Jungkook... Are you going to let go of him now?" Hea asked, little jealous. "We kinda have to walk down a flight of stairs."
The boy pouted and shook his head from behind Jimin.
"Should I lift you off and steal him?" She questioned and he shook his head again.
"You can't." Was all Jungkook said before picking Jimin up and running down the hallway.
"Oh bish. Try me." Hea whispered before running to him.
She caught the younger boy then picked Jimin up and ran down the stairs with him bridal style.
Jungkook ran after the girl holding Jimin while Taehyung and Jin enjoyed the show.
"Guys! I am not a sack of potatoes." Jimin pouted.
"I demand to be let down."
He was now on the counter where Hea placed him to hide from Jungkook.
"Shush." Hea told him smiling while looking for the younger boy.
"Mean." He pouted.
Just then Jungkook appeared, and Hea yelled before going in from of Jimin with a pen in her hand.
"I will defend the good Lord!" She yelled in a dignified warrior's tone.
"I will not allow you to have the good Lord all to yourself!" Jungkook yelled holding a book in the air.
Jin took a picture of them and smiled when he looked at it.
Particularly Jimin's eye smile behind Hea while watching the two hold a book and pen against each other play fighting.
That's how he always wanted to see his younger siblings. Always smiling. So it broke his heart when Hea briefly told him what had happened today.
Now that his brother was smiling, that's all he could ask for.
"Alright guys that's it." They heard Jin's voice. "Leave my poor brother alone and get him down from there."
"Jin hyung! Help." Jimin called.
He walked towards the kitchen and stole Jimin from behind Hea.
She and Jungkook gasped simultaneously.
"Thief! He took the good Lord from both of us."
Then they ran after Jin who piggybacked Jimin all the way to front.
They were trying to make him happy and thankfully they did just that.
"Oh wait!" Jin exclaimed putting Jimin down.
"We have another surprise." Hea winked at Jin.
Jimin groaned playfully.
"Look who's here!" Hea shouted.
It was all silent.
"I said, look who's here!"
Everyone's attention turned to the white furred animal cutely running out from behind the wall.
Casper ran to Jimin and started licking his face.
Everyone smiled seeing him smile.
"How'd you get him here?"
"I have my ways." She told Jimin and winked.
He giggled and played with Casper while Jin ordered pizza.
Jungkook and Taehyung joined in while Hea watched them, also texting someone.
When the pizza came, Jungkook and Hea battled to see who last the longest eating a box of Jalapeño pizza.
Hea won of course.
"I've been single all my life. I had practice." She smirked and went next to Jimin.
They played videogames until Jin decided it was bedtime.
He was lenient with them since there's a holiday the next day.
Hea ended up bunking with Jimin to which the boy almost had a heart attack when he found out.
Taehyung and Jungkook laughed at his shock expression and pushed him in the room.
He found the girl on the couch.
"Don't worry Baby Boy. I will be taking the couch."
He wanted to say something, but he just watched her.
"Uh y-you don't have to." He said walking toward her.
"I don't want to make you uncomfortable."
"Casper could probably be in the middle?" He asked quietly.
He really wanted her next to him. Jimin didn't know why but it just felt right.
"Alright alright." She smiled at him and climbed in bed.
He took the other side and placed a tired Casper on the little pillow in between them.
Anyone who saw this would think they are a young couple who just started dating.
It was silent for a while, and they only heard the grumbling of sleeping Casper.
Then Hea turned looking up at the ceiling and called Jimin.
"Hey Jimin, do you feel better?" She whispered.
He did the same thing and replied, "I guess? I mean, my thoughts aren't going to go away immediately but I guess I can try to listen to your words."
The two stared at the ceiling.
"You are perfect in every way possible. Just remember that."
Jimin was quiet at that.
"Am I?" He whispered his thoughts out loud.
She turned on her side to face him.
Jimin, feeling the movement and her stare, did the same.
"Am I, Hea?" He asked again. "All I ever do is cry. I can't even stand up for myself for Christ's sake. I don't fit in with most people my age group. I just rely. Rely on people to help me and be there for me. Maybe I really am useless."
"Jimin. Crying does not make you weak nor does relying on someone. Tears are just words of the heart that need to be written. When you are unable to speak anymore, your heart does it for you."
Hea reached over and placed Jimin's head on her arm as a pillow.
"I know what it is like, to wish you were different. But then I realized, being different is what separates you from the rest. Why would you want to be like a whole bunch of people when you can be someone entirely different?"
He got quiet thinking about it.
Hea continued to speak. "Besides, a reallyyyyy cute boy once told me, 'What makes it better is that you are you. And that's what makes you unique.'"
Jimin smiled a little at that and remember the day on the rooftop.
"All jokes aside though. You have friends who would hate to lose you. Those are the ones who you can count on and who would be there anytime. It's what friends are for."
Jimin took in her words and closed his eyes. He whispered a thank you, and then fell asleep on her arm with her fingers playing with his hair.
Hea stared at him with only one thought.
'I love you, Park Jimin.'
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Two new chapters for my lovely readers, especially you, my darling.