Deeper, deeper, the wound just gets deeper
Like pieces of broken glass that I can’t reverse
Deeper, it’s just the heart that hurts every day

(Stigma, V)

23-year old Taehyung cringes as his brother attempts to make a move on the woman seated at the edge of the coffee bar. 

Right in front of him, his brother's best friend, Min Yoongi, rolls his eyes as he sips his cup of coffee (which part-time barista/hard working college student Taehyung prepared for him).

"Ugh, we'll keep losing customers if he keeps doing that," complains Taehyung, watching his hyung. 

"Or you could gain more -- depending on Namjoon's style. But I won't be hopeful; his batting average recently isn't looking good," says Yoongi as he scrolls down his phone. 

Taehyung heaves a sigh as he clears the counter. It's always like this whenever Namjoon is around: his brother attempts to flirt when there's no assurance the girl will say yes or no. Most of the time, the answer is always the latter option. But he still tries his best. 

Eventually, Namjoon heads back to them.

"Did you make an idiot out of yourself again?" asks Yoongi, still reading from his phone.

Namjoon rubs the back of his head. "I don't think the dimple smile works on anyone, anymore."

"And that is why, my friend, you are single as hell."

"You're one to talk. You have a boyfriend."

Yoongi sets his phone down. "Because I don't do pathetic things like dimple smiling. I just do myself. That's enough."

"Is that the only thing you did?"

"Why do you think I'm in a relationship?"

Namjoon revels as his younger brother hands him his second cup of hot chocolate. "Wah, look at this man: Genius Min Yoongi. Hot with both the ladies and gents, but severely taken."

Taehyung shakes his head as he watches his hyung and his best friend argue about dating and batting averages. It's just another weekend at the coffee shop after all and it was fun to have Yoongi and Namjoon in it. 

"Aisht, Hobi has a problem," says Yoongi all of a sudden.

"What's up?"

"He doesn't have a roommate anymore in the dorm."

"What happened to his roommate?"

Yoongi scrolls down his boyfriend's message. "Ah...apparently he moved in with his boyfriend already."

"So Hobi's roommate is gay too huh?"

Yoongi pops out the spoon in his mouth, giving it another . "I've met him and yes -- that Park Jimin is gay."

Taehyung almost drops his kettle. 

Jimin?

His head already backs up and tries to regain all information about Min Yoongi's boyfriend Hobi. From the little conversations he overhears, he knows Hobi is Jung Hoseok -- a senior dancer who works in a prestige dance company in Seoul.

The very same one Jimin is in. 

"...I've also met the boyfriend. I didn't catch the name, but he seems younger than Jimin," Yoongi was saying, "They're both nice boys, but I guess Hobi's stressed cause he has to pay the dorm fee alone now." The older of the trio stretches in a yawn. "Aisht...I dunno how to help him out. It's not like I can live there. It's very exclusive for dancers."

It takes Taehyung a second to realize he had been holding the kettle too tightly. 

His Namjoon hyung notices as well.

"Ah...well, that's too bad. Why don't you just take it then? You and Hobi are practically married even if you're distances apart?" he asks, hoping to change the subject. 

"Weren't you listening? The dorm is exclusive for dancers; I'm not a dancer."

"Oh yeah, you're a rapper."

"A good one," says Yoongi, "Ah Hoseok will have to stay there. He can't come here. Its too far."

"Isn't Hobi fortunate to have a boyfriend with a flexible job, then?" teases Namjoon.

"That's not the only thing I'm flexible at."

"WOAH THERE."

As the older boys laugh, Taehyung finds himself busying with the espresso machine, even though no one ordered anything. Unknown to him, his hyung is watching him from the corner of his eye, concerned about his little brother.

"Tae, your meat is burning."

"Huh?"

"The meat. It's burnt already."

Taehyung jumps in surprise as he immediately takes his burnt piece of meat away from the grill. He uses his tongs to place the sad piece of meat on his plate. 

"Aisht, that's the third one," he complains, blowing on it, "But I can't waste good meat." Quickly, he wraps the meat in greens, add some sauce, and devour it in one bite. It stung his tongue, but the meat was too delicious for him to care.

"You're bothered, huh?" asks his Namjoon hyung, who was pouring himself another shot of Soju.

"What?"

"I said you're distracted," repeats his brother, "Are you still thinking of what Yoongi said?"

"What did Yoongi hyung say?"

Namjoon rolls his eyes at his brother as he places another wad of meat on the grill. "Hey Taehyung-ah, don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about," insists the older Kim, "I saw you almost break that kettle of yours a while ago."

Taehyung grabs the nearest bowl of rice and starts attacking it. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You might have bigger eyes than me, but I can see it when you're lying."

The younger brother heaves a sigh, mouth full of rice. He stares at his nosy brother, hoping he gets the message that he does not want to talk about it. But Namjoon being Namjoon does the complete opposite.

"Hyung."

"Don't tell me Yoongi's news didn't affect you."

"It doesn't. I don't care."

"Really? You don't care that Jimin is out there with someone else?"

Taehyung spills his soup.

"Ah hyung!"

Namjoon smirks before he drinks his shot of Soju.

"I knew it. You're lying."

Taehyung waves at a waiter for some tissues while he cleans himself from spilled soup. The younger Kim is annoyed at his brother for being so tactless and annoying. but then again, he should've known better. His Namjoon hyung is one to pry, especially if the latter thinks his little brother needs to talk about it. On some days, he wishes his hyung didn't care. 

Like now.

"I don't know why you're hiding it, Tae. It's okay to be upset. I mean...you like this guy. I'd feel the same way if I hear the person I love has someone else."

"Can you stop saying that?" 

"Just tell me how you're feeling and I'll stop," insists his brother, "That's how we are anyways. Tell me and I'll shut up."

A kind waitress hands Taehyung another thick wad of tissue, which he uses to clean himself up. All the while, Namjoon refuses to keep his eyes off his younger brother. 

Eventually, Taehyung has to face his brother's queries.

"No, I'm not fine," he answers shortly, "Happy now?"

"You don't know if it's him."

"Hyung, it's him. It's Jimin. Who else can it be?"

The sizzling of the meat momentarily distracts Taehyung as he flips it over. He adds some seasoning while his brother stares at him. 

"How are you feeling?" 

"How else? Terrible; I feel like I'm back to square one," says Taehyung, "I was doing fine but now, here I am