They say when you haven’t lost a friend, you haven’t grown up yet.

Bull. Jimin would never agree to that. Some childhood friends last long.

Long? Not long enough. You know that. Don’t be a hypocrite.

There are some exceptions to those, Jimin argues.

Too bad you’re not one of them.

Nobody seemed to be an exception. Middle school up to the early years of high school, Seokjin hyung kept hanging around with that boy named Hyosang. They’d take pictures together almost every day, the photographs on Seokjin hyung’s wall looked like his wallpaper. Halfway to their 3^rd year of high school, there weren’t any new photos. One by one, his wall of photographs was back to the plain white wall he used to have before he met the boy.

Namjoon and Hoseok were partners in crime since pre-school. They’d be kicking dirt on the playground in grade school and sit next to each other in the detention hall during middle school. High school went a little off at some point for the two but they managed. Namjoon was a nerd, Hoseok was a dancer. It was all college’s fault. They got into different universities, miles apart. Namjoon got into a medical university, Hoseok got into an art college. Namjoon saw more books than more Hoseok; Hoseok saw more dances than more Namjoon.

Everybody he knows lost someone one way or another. He didn’t want to lose someone like that, he wanted to be an exception. He didn’t want to be the one to lose someone or be the one to be left behind. But life doesn’t work that way.

And so, Jimin lost Taehyung.

Jimin lost Taehyung like Seokjin lost Hyosang.

Jimin lost Taehyung like Namjoon lost Hoseok.

Jimin lost Taehyung like life lost air.

Right before they knew how to read or write, Jimin and Taehyung were already the best of friends. Sharing food or pulling each other’s hair out, they’d still be okay at the end of the day. Taehyung was the crazy kid, always thinking of insane ideas. Jimin was halfway of being crazy and but still sane enough to know the boundaries of Taehyung’s antics. They were the perfect friends; they have each other’s backs but still manage to piss each other off at some point. But still, they’re all good.

Taehyung’s ideas had always been crazy, for the sake of having fun. Jimin never said no to any of it but this particular one will be the first.

“Taehyung, it’s risky.” Jimin is clutching his bag and whispering even though no one’s around at the empty courtyard. “We can’t just take him out of his house and let him sleep in ours. It’d be like kidnapping.”

“It’s only kidnapping if he refuses it.” taehyung’s got that same bright glint in his eyes because of his idea but this time, that smile isn’t there. He’s serious and Jimin noticed he’s been like this for a few weeks now. “Trust me, Jungkook is gonna be more than willing to come with us.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I just know.”

Taehyung just knows, he just knows a lot of stuff; especially if that stuff involved Jeon Jungkook. It scares Jimin how Taehyung’s ideas jumped from for the sake of having fun to for the sake of Jeon Jungkook. It scares Jimin how Jungkook turned Taehyung into this kind of superhero wannabe like he always wanted when they were kids. It scares Jimin how Taehyung became so immersed in Jungkook that he’s willing to take risk just to make sure the other boy is safe.

They had a plan.

Jungkook will skip his last period and head home, pack his things and wait for Jimin and Taehyung to arrive on Taehyung’s brother’s car. The two only turned 16 recently with Jimin being the only one who has a driver’s license. It was a struggle to convince Yoongi that Jimin could drive so they could take his car. But nonetheless, the elder gave it and with a stern and serious look he rarely pulls, “Just come back in one piece, alright?”

Yoongi sounded worried but they don’t have time for that. Taehyung jumped right into the car and yelled for Jimin to step on it! as they make their way to Jungkook’s old rundown apartment by the edge of town.

As they reach the curb on Jungkook’s street, they waited for the younger to appear at the front of the apartment but it’s been 15 minutes and Jungkook is nowhere to be found.

“I’m gonna go get him,”

“But what if someone’s home?”

“That’s exactly why I need to go get him,”

It wasn’t part of the plan and Jimin knows that if it’s not part of the plan, it’s not the plan and if it’s not the plan then it’s not gonna work which translates to they are screwed.

Jimin fiddles with his phone and starts thinking about calling the cops, because why can’t Taehyung just asked for help from them in the first place? He could’ve just called them and said, “Hey my friend gets abused by his so-called father every night and he needs to get out of there, please help us out” then things wouldn’t have to be so complicated and ed up and he could’ve done something more than just calling the cops when he hears a loud bang from the apartment.

The next thing Jimin knew, he was outside the operating room of a hospital. Both Taehyung and Jungkook were inside, shot by Jungkook’s stepdad. They didn’t expected the old man to be home when they planned it, because Jungkook said he was always away whenever he was in school and comes home late at night. Taehyung came in right when Jungkook was being punched and kicked, he tried to stop the old man and pull Jungkook out of the house.

They were shot while running down the hallway.

Jungkook woke up.

Taehyung didn’t.

Jimin lost it.