CHAPTER 6

Title: BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS

Alternative Title: Progress

In which: Winning, confession and the like.

Days passed and you were finally out of the hospital and Jimin and Taehyung got shocked over Jungkook’s news about his mark appearing and already has hues of the color blue but he didn’t show his mark yet because he got "shy". Since Jungkook was moping around when he found out you met your soulmate, Jimin and Taehyung were both elated to see Jungkook finally back to his happy self.

Wanting to go to his grandmother’s home to show off his mark, Jungkook left practice early. It is because of this that led to Taehyung and Jimin walking home together alone which was a first.

“Random Topic Fridays?” Taehyung blurted out and Jimin looked up, confused (Read: It's a weekend). “Let’s just say what’s on our minds.”

Jimin pondered over it for a few minutes before nodding, “First thing you do after getting out of bed?”

“Head towards the bathroom like a zombie.” Taehyung answered and demonstrating it, dragging his feet and groaning. He turned back to Jimin and smiled when he heard him laugh and clap. “How about you?”

“I have to streeeeetchh!!” Jimin said, stretching his arms. “It’s a habit to do everyday because I don’t want to be so stiff like Namjoon hyung.” Taehyung tilted his head.

“Namjoon hyung?”

“He’s one of my friends since I was a kid! Together with Yoongi hyung and Y/N.” Jimin answered, eyes bright. “Should I tell you the story??”

So the small conversation turned to story-telling about how you and the others met for the first time on the playground, how Yoongi was so mean because he stole Jimin’s ball and how you punched Yoongi because of that and how Namjoon pacified the fight and how you all ended up eating ice candy by the end of the day, how you all became friends.

How you and Jimin both found out that Namjoon and Yoongi were so overprotective, how you and Jimin fell in love with dancing, singing and modeling while Namjoon and Yoongi preferred the other side of the camera like producing, composing, shooting but still kept encouraging and supporting each other through competitions and shows and practices and how you all started straying from the good side on some occasions (Read: Dance clubs with good alcohol) and how you all focused on your goals back in college and how amazing Jimin feels that all of you are still close even after all those years.

In return, Taehyung talked about his family, how his father was in a relationship with a man and how they loved each other so much but was caught up in an arranged marriage with another Park family and how his appa couldn’t refuse because of a lot of things that complicated a lot more things and before they even eloped, it was shot down because his appa’s Noona got very sick and they couldn’t leave her alone because him and his lover were indebted to her.

Taehyung continued that just a few months after the wedding, his Aunt, the heiress of the other Park company, demanded that when she gets married, Taehyung’s appa and her sister will be divorced. It was then compromised that the forced married couple must produce an heir before it with no strings attached and...

--that’s how Taehyung came to life.

And all that Jimin had to say is--

“YOU’RE AN HEIR??!” Jimin gawked at the man beside him who just shrugged.

“I have no plans on inheriting Aunt’s company. My Appa tells me I should go and follow what my heart wants to do and just decide to take over is something might happen to him.”

“But…what about your Appa’s boyfriend?” Jimin asked, worry lines appearing as he frowned in concern. Taehyung reached out and physically smoothed the lines away, chuckling. “And the one your Appa married?”

“My Appa and her stayed friends, I even have a stepsister because of the whole ordeal. As for my Appa’s boyfriend, Appa always say I took after him a lot even though I wasn’t his flesh and blood child. He says I even have his smile.” Taehyung answered, pointing to his rectangular smile “He’s happy right now with Appa. I call him ‘Omma’ because he raised me when my own mother gave me to him. He’s like a mother to me, anyway. The story I told you about was the past. Jimin-ah! We’re currently living happily and peacefully~!”

“But what about the other Park company?”

“My Appa’s noona fell in love with the eldest son and they got married and together, they ran the company well. I just don’t understand why they have to interfere with my Appa’s relationship when it was going to end up like this.”

“...That’s good, then.” Jimin mumbled, a relieved sigh escaping his lips. Taehyung looked at Jimin.

“Yah, is there something wrong?”

“The story you told me about was like a drama!!” Jimin commented, eyes teary. He stopped walking and shook Taehyung’s arm. “…But they all didn’t find their soulmate?” Taehyung stared at Jimin for a minute before laughing hard.

“YAH! WHAT’S SO FUNNY!!” Jimin yelled and Taehyung patted his hair and squished his cheeks.

“My Appa and Omma, my parents, are soulmates, Park Jimin!!” Taehyung chuckled at the ‘I-didn’t-know!’ reply and swung an arm around Jimin’s shoulder “Their love story is a dramatic one! That’s why mine won’t be as dramatic as theirs!”

Jimin looked disbelievingly at Taehyung, “Taehyungie, you believe in soulmates?”

“Of course I do, Pabo-yah!”

“But what if you can’t find them?”

“Well…I just have to wait a bit more. They’ll come around and be safe in my arms. I’ll love them a lot and say and do all those cheesy things.” Taehyung looked up at the starry sky and smiled. “I know they’re just around here somewhere. So I’ll wait because I know I’m not the only one searching.”

“Wow, so romantic.” Jimin teased, letting out a laugh before laughing. “So envious, Taehyung-ah. You’re so positive you’re going to meet your soulmate while here I am still wishing to see him again.” Jimin didn’t realized Taehyung tensed for a moment. “I want to tell him that I love him but the problem is I don’t think I’m worthy yet and I don’t even know where he is now.”

“Then… what