"What do you fear?"
Anthea rolled her eyes, playfully hitting Hoseok on the shoulder. "Oh don't try your one dollar philosophy tricks on me."
"Oh come on! You know I can only test it out on you!" Hoseok giggled as he sat comfortably on the couch.
Anthea and Hoseok were having a chill weekend at Anthea's, with glasses upon glasses of wine and embarrassing dance moves. They both needed a break from their stressful lives, and this was one of the best ways they could relax.
"Alright, alright," Anthea laughed. "What was the question again?"
"What do you fear?" Hoseok asked once again, leaning on her shoulder as he downed another glass of wine.
"Hm, I guess it has to be failure." Anthea answered after some thought. "What about you?"
"I fear not being happy." Hoseok answered and Anthea could feel this simple sentence meant a lot more to him.
"Ok, I got another question!" Hoseok suddenly yelled slapping Anthea's arm. "What would you do if Yoongi asked you out on a date?"
"That doesn't have to be a question because it already happened." Anthea mumbled and Hoseok let out an exaggerated gasp.
"What? When? How?"
"Well not exactly ask for a date, but he did confess that he liked me." Anthea scratched the back of her neck, seeing how Hoseok's smile grew with every word she spoke.
"Then date him! What's stopping you?" He yelled.
"I don't know! I guess I'm not yet over Jimin." Anthea sighed. "I haven't gotten the closure I deserve."
"But you do like him thought right?" Hoseok asked carefully.
"Yoongi? Yeah I do—"
"Then go for it!" Hoseok yelled once again, scaring poor Theo as he ran to hide in his cat tower.
"Look Anthea, there are very few people who genuinely care for you. And apart from me, Yoongi is one of them. Plus, he's got less damage compared to Jimin!"
"So what, I should just leave Jimin?" Anthea asked.
"Honey, you're not leaving anyone because you're not with anyone! Now stop thinking about others and think about yourself for once. What do you truly want?"
Anthea leaned back on her seat, contemplating Hoseok's words.
"But does that mean I should forgive Jimin?"
"Look Anthea, people fuck up all the time. Whether they mean it or not, they all fuck up. Now it's completely up to the scenario in which they fucked up which determines whether you're gonna forgive them or not."
Anthea subconsciously compared Hoseok's analogy to what Yoongi told her about his family. Although they were a happy family, the dad was the one who—in this scenario—"fucked up".
In her case it was Jimin.
The more she thought, the clearer it was that every person had someone in their life who "fucked up". But some were forgiven, while others weren't.
Just like her parents. Anthea forgave them because she realised that their irresponsibilities didn't define them as parents or individuals. They messed up when they conceived her and dropped her off at her grandma's, but that doesn't mean they never cared for her. Thousands of gifts and souvenirs packed in her closet would prove that they indeed do love her.
But everyone loves in a unique way.
"Hobi," Anthea started, earning the attention of her drunk best friend.
"You love through the most loud way possible, my parents love through their gifts, my grandmother loves through her cooking, Jimin loves through his kind words, I love through my gestures, but Yoongi...?"
"Well, you might have to give him a chance to know how he loves right?" Hoseok drunkly winked at her before passing out on the couch.
"Hoseok, maybe your cheap philosophy tricks aren't that bad after all." Anthea grinned as she patted his head.
—
"Everybody, give it up for Gloss!"
The crowd roared in excitement as Yoongi meekly stepped on the stage. Grabbing his microphone in sweaty palms, he began his performance for the night.
But Yoongi was different today. He felt...numb.
He didn't feel the rush of exhilaration when he stepped up on stage, nor did he feel his ego soaring high in the clouds. Rather, he felt weak.
Vulnerable, even.
As he continued on with his performance, it didn't take long for the audience to realise something was off. The once roaring crowd was now muted yet they unknowingly bopped their head to the tune.
Just a while more, Yoongi thought as he gripped the mic tighter. Just a while more and I'm out of here.
But the flashing memory of the woman who he held so dear to himself made him freeze. The thought of his mother made his knees buck and just remembering her smile made his eyes burn with tears.
Last verse, Yoongi gave it his all but he couldn't focus. Not after seeing a certain blonde in the crowd look at him in pity.
And Yoongi stuttered.
But being a professional at the game, he covered it up well. Although it didn't go past the many rappers who envied him.
With a quick bow Yoongi left to go backstage. All he could think of was to get home and sleep.
Yoongi, although saddened, couldn't help but feel numb. He couldn't understand what he was supposed to feel. Was it anger? Despair? He just couldn't tell.
"Hey, Yoongi!"
And the male sighed when he heard his friend's voice.
"What're you here for?" Yoongi asked scratching the back of his neck.
"I was here to give you some moral support. And...maybe ask for some help." Jimin replied sheepishly.
"If this is about Anthea then you better sort it out yourself." With that Yoongi was just about to leave before he was interrupted.
"That's the thing!" Jimin began. "I was gonna sort it out but I just don't know what to do!"
"I tried talking it out with her and we all know how that ended up." Jimin rolled his eyes.
Yoongi felt ticked off by his friend's behaviour. Jimin wasn't the kind of person to take anyone's feelings lightly. So this change in behaviour angered Yoongi.
"Are you in the right state of mind Jimin?" Yoongi sighed. "Do you realise that Anthea had to give up her entire career because of one incident?"
"And no she didn't break up with you over a broken ankle, she's mature than that. She broke up with you because she couldn't understand what to feel in that moment."
Saying it out loud, Yoongi couldn't help but feel as though he was talking about himself rather than Anthea.
"She broke up with you because she didn't want to lash out on you. Come on, she is a dancer! How are you supposed to feel when the only thing that makes you love yourself is snatched away from you?"
"It's not about an injury, and it was never just about an injury. It was about what followed after that. I'm sure there wasn't a moment Anthea didn't wish to forgive you. Hell, she said it herself that she was sad she left you in the dark for so long!"
Jimin didn't know how to react. So much had been said to him this past year but now it finally made sense. Why couldn't he understand all this before was beyond him.
"Is it too late now?" Jimin asked after a long pause.
"Well, you'd not know unless you tried." Was Yoongi's reply.
With a bittersweet smile Jimin hugged his dear friend. "Thanks a lot Yoongi."
And just before he left, the black-eyed man spoke up.
"Jimin—"
Jimin looked back with a smile.
"—I'm in love with Anthea."
—
TBC
Surprise, surprise~