Chapter Text
Jimin's POV:
It felt like it's been a long time since I've bonded with Tae like this. It's like a reunion – like we haven't seen each other for years and we are making up for all the times we missed. I missed this – having time for friends just like the way it was before we became idols.
"Hey, hyung, let's go." Jungkook called to me while I was tying my shoe lace.
"Wait! I'm not done getting dressed!" I answered to him. Jungkook came closer to me and gave me a concerned look.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
"Yes, it just hurts a little. I haven't gotten back the strength of my legs." I said to him while running my hands along my legs, checking at the muscles that seem to get tired very easily.
"Well, that's why we need to jog every day. So we can make your legs strong again." He said to me. After finishing tying my shoelaces, we headed outside to begin the day's jogging session.
"Ok, it's already 5 am. Should we head straight to the cliff?" Jungkook asked.
"Oh, it's quite late already. The sun will be rising in thirty minutes. I think we should jog straight to that place." I replied to him. He nodded and started jogging to the place where we usually go to when we jog. Sometimes, I jog with Tae, sometimes, with Jungkook, sometime, all three of us. I never jogged alone, not after that accident. The accident that I can't remember.
After about twenty minutes of jogging, Jungkook and I reached the cliff where the horizon can be seen clearly. We sat on a long rock that I remembered I set up there myself, when I was still jogging alone. After we're settled on our position, we waited for the sun to rise.
"Hey, hyung, how are you feeling?" Jungkook asked as he looked to my direction. I just kept a straight look at the horizon.
"Well, I'm a bit tired. After jogging for twenty minutes non-stop, you should be feeling tired too!" I answered, making him laugh.
"Actually, I'm not that tired. I've had enough of running from something for some time." Jungkook said. He's trying, but he couldn't hide the slight hint of sadness... of regret in his voice.
"What do you mean? You can tell me, Jungkook. I'm listening." I asked him. He only bowed and closed his eyes. Why won't you tell me?
"It's really nothing hyung. I had a lot of literal running lately, so my stamina has gone up a bit." Jungkook answered as he gave me a bright smile. I was about to say something when I notice a ray of light hit his face.
"Hey, it's starting to rise!" I screamed in excitement the sun started to rise from the horizon. Jungkook got startled when I did that, but he immediately looked towards the horizon. Both of us easily got fixated on the view.
The two of us just kept on staring at the sunrise for some time. Right now, everything just feels right. The warmth that the sunrise gives surrounds me. Looking at the sunrise is my one of my favorite things to do. It brings a feeling of peace. And now, it became extra special because I am looking at it with a friend. With Jungkook.
Then, felt the urge to ask him about our past. Who is Jungkook? What is Jungkook in my life? What are the things that we've done together before the accident?Those are the questions that ran in my mind while we were seated there, seating at the long rock, looking at the sunrise.
Without taking my eyes off the wonderful view, I spoke to ask him. "Hey, Jungkook. Did we used to do this before the accident?" I asked him. I saw him swallow hard when I asked the question to him. After a few moments of him not responding, I asked another question.
"Just how exactly close are we back then?" I asked. He still didn't answer. He just looked at the sunrise.
"Jungkook, please. Can you tell me something about what we did in the past? I really want to know." I begged him. He turned to look at me, but he still didn't answer. Instead, he looked at his watch.
"Hyung, I think we should go back now. It's already 6 am. I think breakfast is already ready in the house." Jungkook said as he prepared to leave. Apparently, he didn't want to talk about it. Not now.
"Ok, fine. Let's go." I said to him as I also stood up to jog again back to our house.
We reached the house just in time for breakfast. All the members are already awake and are getting settled at the dining table to eat the pancakes and bacon that Jin cooked for us.
"Hey guys! Let's eat!" Jin shouted to us when he saw me and Jungkook enter the house. I hurriedly took off my shoes to rush to the table, where the other members are already beginning to eat. Jungkook also ran to the table, he even reached the table before I did. So that's how fast he runs.
Tae already told me about the seating arrangement – that Jungkook seats beside me. When we got settled, I was about to get my bowl to fill it with food when Jungkook grabbed it. I just watched as he filled my bowl with bacon and pancakes with syrup and giving it back to me afterwards.
"Thanks, Jungkook!" I said to him in gratitude as I began munching at the breakfast.
"You're welcome, hyung." Jungkook replied as he began filling his own bowl with the food. So, I suppose this is how close we were.
I continued eating the food. When I looked at the other members, they were all looking at me and Jungkook, but more at Jungkook. When I met their eyes, I just give them a smile, which they gladly returned. Jungkook, however, was facing away from me. He was facing Hoseok, who was looking at him while trying to hold back a laugh. What's funny with Jungkook's face?
After the breakfast, all the members began to settle in different places in the house. Jin began to wash the utensils, just like how he usually does every after meal. He's like our eomma in the group, taking care of us, cooking food for us, doing the house choirs, etc. Maybe it was because he is the eldest in the group.
Hoseok went to the living room to watch the television. I remember that he is the member that takes the lead when it comes to watching – may it be watching television for news, or anything, or watching anime or movies. Namjoon and Yoongi went straight to their own rooms to prepare for the today's event.
Jungkook, well, I don't know. I don't really know what he used to do. This time, he sat with Tae on the sofa near the television, both playing on their phones. Tae, just like the old Tae. One minute he was doing something, the next he's immersed into something else. His attention span is very limited, but he has boundless amounts of energy.
When I spotted Tae, I immediately went to him and pulled him to the porch. He gave me a surprised look.
"Why here? Do you remember this place?" Tae ask with a mixture of excitement and worry.
"Uhm... of course." I answered him. I noticed him swallow hard and blinking exaggeratedly. "This is our house's porch, for god's sake! Why the hell would I not remember it?" I continued. Then there was silence.
After a few seconds, Tae suddenly burst into a fit of laughter. He just laughed his lungs out after holding back a breath when I said 'of course'. He's really weird, just like how I remember him to be.
"Hey, what so funny there, Tae?!" I asked as I tried shaking him to stop his uncontrollable madness.
"Nothing, hyung. I-I'm just... hahahahahaha... I feel like I'm so stupid!" Tae managed to say while still laughing like there's no tomorrow.
"You know what, if you keep laughing like that, you really are stupid. Hey, calm down, we need to talk." I said to him. At first, he wasn't paying attention. But as I said the last part, he suddenly stopped laughing at transformed into a serious Tae. My head hurt a little all of a sudden, but it was very easy to ignore.
"What is it that you need to talk about?" Tae asked with much more concern this time. It's like he all of a sudden became a guru.
"Uhm... Nothing serious really. It's about Jungkook." I said to him. Again, he swallowed hard. Is there something stuck in his throat?
"So, what about Jungkook?" He asked.
"I really find him fun to be with, you know. I feel comfortable when I'm with him, especially when we're jogging. May I ask, are the two of us like that before the accident happened?" I asked. Tae didn't respond for some time. I was about to ask again when he started talking.
"Actually, kind of like that. The three of us, being the maknae line, are really close to each other before the accident happened. Well, we still are, right?" Tae answered. Something doesn't feel right with his answer. I am not fully convinced, but, what do I know?
"Actually, the real reason why I wanted to talk to you is because of what happened this morning while the two of us were jogging and we waited for the sunrise." I said to him. For the I don't know how many times today, Tae swallowed hard again.
"Wh-what happened?" Tae stuttered. Is there something that I should know? Oh well, there are LOTS of things I should know.
"I asked him about the things that we did in the past. I asked him how our relationship was before the day the car hit me." I answered.
"So, what did Jungkook say?" Tae asked. He was listening very intently.
"The thing is, he didn't answer." I said to him. Tae sighed, as if in relief. "He just ignored the question. As if he doesn't want me to know something." Tae nodded. "Another thing – he said that lately, he's had enough of running. I tried asking him about it, but he just won't tell me." Tae kept on nodding, as if analyzing the situation. "I really think he's hiding something. He's hiding something from me. What should I do?" I asked. He didn't stop nodding.
After a few moments of silence and a nodding Tae, he finally figured out an answer.
"Nothing." Tae answered. I was disappointed with his answer. After all the nodding he did, that was all he managed to think of?
"What?! After you thought about all of it, that's all you can say? A NOTHING?!" I said to him. Tae looked at me with shock. "I'm sorry. I was just a bit disappointed. After you seemed to think about the matter, that was all you managed to answer." I said in apology. Tae patted my head before he started speaking again.
"What I mean is, we can't do anything about it. We can't force him to talk about something that he doesn't want to talk about. Maybe he thinks he isn't the right person to tell you your story." Tae said, while raising his eyebrows. Really Tae, why are you lying?
"But what if it is really concerned about me? And besides, I was asking him about us. Who is the best person to tell it to me?" I asked. He couldn't look me in the eyes.
After giving a sigh, he finally gave me a good answer. But a good answer doesn't mean clear answer.
"Hyung, there are things that are better off being left behind in the past. There are things that we are better off forgetting – not remembering. Maybe, Jungkook thinks that your past with him is better off buried." He said. With that, he left me alone in the porch, wondering about the meaning of what he said. I stood, there, wondering, until I remembered that we have a schedule today. A fan meeting is going to be held today. Still bothered by Tae's words, I decided to go to mine and Jungkook's shared room to take a shower.
When I got out of the shower, I saw Jungkook who was preparing the clothes he will be wearing for the fan meeting.
"Hey, Jungkook, your turn." I said to him, catching his attention. He looked at me for a few seconds, and then I noticed him swallow hard. Why are people swallowing hard all the time?
After a few moments more, he didn't move from his place. He just looked at me – like he was scanning my appearance. I was there, standing before the door of the shower, only clothed with a bath towel below the waist.
"Hey, Jungkook! I said it's your turn!" I repeated, but this time a little louder.
"Oh... yeah, s-sorry." Jungkook said, as he looked away and reached for his own towel. He was in such a hurry that he even tripped over the leg of the bed.
"Hey, are you alright? That looked painful." I said to him while smiling. He just continued hurrying to the shower room.
"I'm alright, hyung. J-just tripped over something." He said as he closed the door of the shower room. This guy.
Seeing him like that amused me, but at the same time, it also bothered me. Just like this morning, it seems like he was hiding something from me. I don't know what that is, or even if it concerns me, so I just shrugged the feeling of. After getting dressed, I patiently waited for him to finish his shower.
"Hey, Jungkook, aren't you done yet? It's already 8 am, the fan meeting starts at 10. We should be there by around 8:30 am." I asked through the door. He didn't answer; instead, he opened the door of the shower, already in clothes.
"Oh, so that's why you took some time in the shower room, huh?" I asked. I was about the say something when my head ached a bit. It was negligible, but enough to cut my words and change my facial expression. It didn't go unnoticed.
"Hyung, are you alright?" Jungkook asked as he went to me for support.
"I'm alright, just... a little headache." I said to him. To convince him, I headed outside and checked on the other members. I appears that they were all waiting for the two of us.
"Jungkook, I think they're all ready. We should head out now." I said to him as he looked at me with concern in his eyes. He won't move. "I said I'm ok, Jungkook, believe me. Now, we have to go outside – the others are already waiting for us." I said to him as I pulled him up from the bed.
"Oh, there you are! At last! What took you so long?" Namjoon asked, as all of them looked at us.
"Jungkook took a while in the showers. Also, my head ached a bit, but I'm ok now." As I said the second part of my response, Tae came rushing to me and checked my head.
"Are you alright? Hyung, what happened?" Tae asked while he panicked as he kept on tossing my head to check for anything.
"Tae, I said I'm ok." Still, he won't stop. "If you don't stop, my head will ache again." I said to him, and almost immediately, he stopped and bowed.
"I'm sorry, I'm just worried about you, hyung." Tae said to me.
"It's ok, Tae. Now, shall we go to the fan meeting?" I said to the other members, who nodded in agreement.
Inside the van, I, Jungkook, and Tae sat at the back part, while Yoongi, Hoseok, and Jin sat on the middle part. Namjoon, as the leader, sat beside the driver of the van. While we were travelling, we talked about random things. Then, Jungkook slid away from me and whispered something to Tae's ears, and then he looked at me. I pretended to not notice by looking away just before he turned his head to face me. After he was done whispering, Tae looked at him mischievously and hit him in the shoulder, making Jungkook scream, and startling the other members.
"What the hell? What happened, Jungkook?" Namjoon asked from the front seat.
"Uh... I-It's nothing, hyung. Tae-hyung just hit me hard. I'm sorry." Jungkook said.
The other members sighed and continued with their business. I, on the other hand, continued talking with Jungkook and Tae, but I didn't bother asking what they were talking about.
After a few more minutes, we reached the venue. We were told that I am going to surprise the fans by not going down with the other members. The other members should also look a little depressed. When the van was unloaded, I remained inside. The van then turned to go to the place where I cannot be seen as I go behind the backdrop.
"Anneonghaseyo!" Namjoon shouted a little weakly, so that the fans we're happy but at the same time depressed because I was absent. We didn't announce that I already recovered, so none of them knew that I would be here for the fan meeting. In fact, the fan meeting was held to welcome me.
The fan meeting started with BTS talking to the fans about what happened lately. The fans were very enthusiastic. Then I noticed one fan wearing a shirt with 지민 (Jimin) printed in front. She looked depressed and very sad, perhaps because of me not being there. I asked my manager if we could change plans, and he allowed me. I disguised as a normal person, and walked to that fan unnoticed. Then, I sang beside her ear, making her jump in surprise. I continued singing to her, even though she was already jumping around, and the others are already looking at me as well. Then, I removed my disguise, which made the whole venue, even my group mates, shout in surprise. When I finished singing, I hugged the girl wearing the shirt. Then, before we knew it, the whole venue was already doing a great group hug.
"Hey, wait, you might squish Jimin-hyung!" Tae shouted. All the fans, frightened by Tae's warning, let go of me.
"Anneonghaseyo!" I shouted, which made the fans cheer for me. I walked to the location of the other members behind the row of tables, where they are signing the paraphernalia that the fans brought.
"Hey, hyung! Nice one!" Tae said to me, while giving me a hug.
"Hey, Tae! You might be the one to squish me!" I said to him, making him let go of me. Now I know how to get rid of him easily.
With me now settled for the fan meeting and signing, the event went on smoothly. The fans were lined up and pass in front of us. Most of them gave gifts to us, especially to me. Even though we didn't announce it, the fans seemed to know that I will be coming with the members today. They are really great fans, and they never fail to overwhelm me.
I was busy conversing with the fans when suddenly; I felt a heavy weight from my back.
"Hey, Jungkook, get off me!" I said to him as I squirmed to free myself from his back hug. I noticed the fans smiling and laughing as they watched me and Jungkook fight.
"No! I'm not letting go!" Jungkook said as he continued hugging me from behind. Then there it is again... my head hurt a bit. It hurt more this time, enough to make me stop responding to Jungkook and making me fall back to my seat. Jungkook immediately noticed and he let go of me and examined me.
"Hyung, are you alright?! I'm so sorry!" Jungkook said in panic.
"It's not you... my head is aching a bit. I just need to calm down." I said to him and gave him a smile. He just nodded as he returned to his seat.
The rest of the day went smoothly. The fan meeting ended at around 4:00 pm, and we proceeded to going back to our house. Went we got inside, most of us laid on the sofas in the living room. Jin went to the fridge to store the food that we bought. He will cook a few hours from now, so he had to preserve the food, for it might get spoiled. After I got some rest, I pulled tae to the porch, where the air was cool.
"What is it?" Tae asked.
"Did you have a great time today?" I asked him.
"Of course hyung! Seeing the fans like that, looking so happy with us, it makes me happy too!" Tae answered as he gave me his signature box smile.
"I know right! It's overwhelming how they look up to us." I said to him. Both of us just stared at the sky for a few silent moments before I spoke again.
"When Jungkook gave me a back hug, earlier, the fans smiled like there's no tomorrow." I said to him. He turned, and looked at me with a curious face. "They really like it when they see that members are very close to each other." I continued. I saw his expression change to something else – and it was not really happy.
"What's with the look Tae?" I asked him. He just turned his face away from me, back to the starlit sky. "Aren't you happy that we know a way to make the fans happy?" I continued.
"No... it's nothing hyung. Of course I'm happy that our fans are happy. It's just that..." He said while looking at something inside the house.
"That what?" I asked again. I had too many questions asked today...
"Nothing, hyung. Let's go back inside, it's getting cold." He answered, as he left me outside, wondering.
...and none of them were answered.