“Ouch!”

“S-Sorry…gosh I should have done it gently.” Jimin bit his lips as he carefully brought the cotton bud to his wound near the younger’s eyes again, this time just pressing the tip gently on the area.

He could hear the boy hissing in pain and Jimin could only smile apologetically. He wasn’t sure what else he can say apart from telling him to bear with it. He needs to treat the wound before it gets infected so he stayed silent and focused on the wound around his cheekbones area before the boy suddenly cracked the dead silence between them.

“What’s your name?”

“Huh?”

“I’m Sanghyuk. What’s yours?”

“J-Jimin. Park Jimin.”

“I’ll be sure to remember that.” 

That was all the boy said after the brief introduction and the red haired gulped involuntarily. He couldn’t think straight at that time. only his hands were moving as if it had a mind on its own. in his head, all he imagined was the rich boy telling his mother everything happened with Jungkook and he’s somewhat gonna be blamed too, for not stopping the younger earlier. 

He bit his lips and tried to control his hands from trembling just at the thought of Taehyung dismissing him from the hotel. it wont be as nerve wrecking as being dismissed after the manager finding out about him being a spy for Sejin Group but still.. he would have failed his mission even before he started it seriously and that was his biggest fear at that time.

, Jae would be hella disppointed in me…

“Jimin?”

“Y-Yeah?” he stuttered a bit as he answered the boy, his own mind full of random thoughts at the moment so he wasn’t focusing at all.

“I’m not going to eat you up you know? You can stop looking so frightened as if I’m a ghost or something.” The boy chuckled softly and shook his head.

“About what happened earlier I—I apologize on Jungkook’s behalf.” Jimin said as he took a step back from the wounded boy and bowed slightly.

“You don’t have to,” Sanghyuk sighed  and smiled wearily towards the confused red haired boy. “If anyone has to apologize for this situation, it’s me.”

“Excuse me?” Jimin's brows shot up in surprise upon hearing that. Just what does he have to apologize for? Not manly enough to actually fight his attacker?

“You are such a nice person, Jimin." he reaches up to ruffle Jimin's half parted hair gently, "Please keep this a secret from everyone else until I figure out something for this.”

“If I may ask something... did you and Jungkook knew each other?”

There was a sudden pause from the boy before he answered. “He was my best friend.” He smiled sadly towards the older as he answered that, leaving a few dollar bills in his hands before he walked out of Jimin's sight.

“He used to be the only best friend I had.” He muttered under his breath and his hand messed up his own hair, as if it wasn’t messy enough to begin with. He made his way to the elevator with Jimin’s sympathetic eyes on his back.

“What the hell happened between them?” he scratched the back of his head before shrugging lightly. He took a glance at the clock by the hallaway and realized that he should be back to his shift by now. Jungkook can have some time alone before Jimin starts asking him about what happened between the two.

***

Jimin sighed as he reached his room right after his shift, Thinking about what happened earlier just get his blood boiling in a split second. No matter how mad Jungkook was at that time, he shouldn’t just go and punch the life out of the boy! Heck, what was he thinking, he should never even lay a hand on Sanghyuk. 

The Han family is one of the influential corporate people which Taehyung had been trying so hard to keep their interest on the hotel. Everything would be left in vain after all this. all those months of headaches for Taehyung and Seokjin after having to stand those conceited rich people.

He ruffled his red hair in frustration before he knocked on the door. Several knocks later and the receptionist wasn’t answering, he finally tried to open the door but it was locked.

“Damn this kid did he lock it from the inside—I didn’t bring my keys what even!“ he pouted slightly and sighs, biting on his lips as he sat on the floor, leaning towards the door and fished out his phone from his pocket.

From : Jimin
you cant hide forever you know?

From : Jungkook
im not hiding

From: Jimin
then open the door and let me in

From : Jungkook
not in the mood to hear you nagging

From : Jimin
I promise I wont if you open the door

It took a good 10 minutes before Jungkook finally opened the door, obnoxious as to why Jimin was sitting on the floor and his tired grin as he mouthed a ‘finally!’. He didn’t say anything as he turned around and sat at the edge of his bed but he knew Jimin had entered the room and closed the door behind him.

The red haired boy was worried about Jungkook but he was not sure what he should say or even do in this kind of situation. He was suddenly reminded of the look that the younger had on his face when he came in between them both earlier and he just shivered involuntarily.

Jungkook looked like he would murder Sanghyuk right there right then, to be honest. That was the scariest expression Jimin ever saw on his face and he didnt even know that the kid could manage that.

“Jimin?”

“Huh?” 

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“I—I just—uh I’m not sure what to say…” Jimin rubbed his nape awkwardly. He froze immediately as soon as he heard Jungkook’s bitter chuckle.

“Are you sure you’re not scared of me?” the younger sneered as he stared at Jimin with one eyebrow raised.

“W-Why should I be?” 

I stammered didn't I? Jimin bit his lips and mentally scold himself before forcing a smile on his face.

He’s stuttering, Jungkook chuckled softly and shook his head as he realized that the red haired was obviously scared of him. He wondered just what kind of expression he had on his face when he was beating up Sanghyuk earlier. However, based on the Jimin's reaction just now, he could guess easily. 

“I don’t know who I am at that time or what was I thinking when I did that. I swear I wasn’t gonna do that I—it was none of my plan. I just wanted to talk.”

 “Hey Kookie it’s okay...”

Jungkook groaned. “I first punched him because he called me that—that nickname. Funny how it got my blood boiling faster than his conceited smirk."

“Tell me about it hmm? What happened?”

“He was my best friend,” Jungkook looked down and sighed deeply as he said that, reminding Jimin that Sanghyuk said the exact same thing earlier. “Back then I didn’t have friends. I was always bullied by his friends, the rich boys in the class. He never join them. He was always there for me to calm me down. So I thought… ah he’s only best friend I had. I was in the middle school back then… I didn’t realize that I—he... ugh…”

Jimin just nodded quietly hearing his story and his curious eyes stayed on the younger, waiting for him to continue but he didn’t. He paused for quite a while before he braced himself and faced the older, his eyes filled with fear and sadness.

“I didn’t know what happened to us, Jimin. I was so stupid back then I didn’t realize I ended up doing all his work for him. I ended up using my own pocket money to buy him snacks and I—I ended up stealing stuffs because of him."
 
"He never appreciated me Jimin, not at all. I was used by him without me even knowing it. He took advantage on me, knowing how I had no friends and I’m probably just really lonely. It was horrible I—I couldn’t stop doing all those stuffs for him. I didn’t want to be alone. Though he was the worst companion ever back then but to me, it was worst than being alone."

Jungkook paused there and turned his head slightly to meet Jimin’s eyes. It was just as he thought it would be, the older boy was staring at him with sad eyes filled with sympathy. He managed a slight smile then scooted closer to Jimin. Before the red haired boy could even react, Jungkook laid his forehead on Jimin’s shoulder as he continued his story, almost sounding like he was whispering.

“Those times still haunt me until now you know? The saddest thing about all this is that—I still hope he would at least say sorry. I still hope he would actually apologize and I will get my best friend back to me again but—“ his sentence was left hanging mid-air and Jimin bit his lips upon hearing that.

It is surely weird, for someone who had actually heard both sides talking about each other. Both of them obviously still care a lot for each other. Most importantly, both still consider each other their only best friend they ever had back then.

“Hey Jungkook what if... I mean, what if all these times… it was all just one big misunderstanding?”

The younger’s head shot up in a few milliseconds upon hearing that. His frown already showed how much he was confused by what Jimin was trying to tell him so the red haired cleared his throat needlessly and continued.

“I don’t know much about what happened but something is definitely off, from what you are telling me.”

“What else could possibly go off? He’s just a big bully who back-stabbed me and I’m the one stupid enough to believe he’s actually my friend.” Jungkook huffed and clenched his bruised fists before Jimin reached out to pat his clenched fists on his lap.

“There’s always another side to a story. You already know yours so why not give him a chance to explain himself?”

“Oh no,” Jungkook immediately shook his head. “I’m not sparing another minute to talk to him, no.”

“Then you’ll be the one left in the dark, not knowing what actually happened in the past with that pure hatred for your old friend in your heart. That, for sure, is not something very good to live with.”

Jungkook let out a deep sigh upon hearing his roommate and he was surprisingly right. He never had the chance to talk to Sanghyuk anymore after what happened. The boy and his family moved to Seoul and Jungkook went to another school.

All this while he believed he knew everything that happened, and that Sanghyuk is simply a bully and one nasty back-stabber.

 What if… that is really not everything to the story? 

***

It was unusually quiet at the dinner table that evening. Yoongi and Namjoon were eating with their eyes fixed on their phones on the table, which leaves Jungkook with no one to converse with. 

After a few minutes drowning in silence, Taehyung came to join the group. He grabbed the chair right opposite Jungkook with his eyes staring right at the younger like they’re shooting out lasers. The young receptionist gulped nervously, knowing that it’s about time he received his punishment for acting so recklessly towards Sanghyuk, a VIP customer of the hotel.

“You do know you did something wrong, didn’t you?” the older out of the two asked, victoriously gaining attention from Namjoon and Yoongi who immediately looked up from their phones upon hearing their manager.

“I do,“ Jungkook answered shortly and that made the manager gasped a bit too dramatically, his mouth hanging open from his straight forward reply.

“Wow you really did it I—“ Taehyung facepalmed and let out a soft groan. “Did you even know how much I tried to defend you? I actually told Mrs Han that I trust you and that there’s no way you would do that but then there’s the CCTV at the corridor showing me otherwise I’m—I—“

“Wait what happened, Taehyung? What’s going on?” Yoongi asked with a slightly panicked expression compared to Namjoon’s obviously concerned one next to him.

Taehyung who was still staring so intently at the young receptionist sighed before answering. “Jungkook got in a fight.” 

“What? With who?” it was Namjoon’s turn to ask and this time too, without removing his eyes from Jungkook’s figure, Taehyung answered him.

“The Han’s precious son, Sanghyuk.”

“And by the Han you mean… the VIP customer? That burdensome investor you had been going on about for months?” 

“Yes, Yoongi hyung that’s the exact Han I’m talking about.” Taehyung answered, his voice sounding so irritated.

“Holy—“ Namjoon’s face turned a bit pale as he gasped, the exact same reaction as Taehyung earlier. “Jungkook why would you—did you really do it?”

“I literally just asked him that a few seconds ago hyung.” Taehyung finally tore his eyes away from the younger to look at Namjoon. He finally realized that Yoongi had this concerned look on his face as he stared at Jungkook. The manager knew that he must be thinking of the exact same thing he had been thinking the first time he heard of this.

Jungkook, no matter how violent he gets during a fight, is never one to start a pointless fight with anyone. Out of the three high school delinquents, the youngest is always the best at holding in his anger and he always resorts to discussing with his hyungs before actually doing anything.

“But why—“ Yoongi’s voice was finally heard but before he could finish his sentence, Jungkook cut in and immediately shot up from his seat, not even finishing his foods in the plate.

“I’ll accept any kind of punishment from the hotel. Just tell me when I need to leave and I’ll go pack up.” 

“Wait Jeon where are you going?” Taehyung blinked a few times in surprise upon hearing the younger but Jungkook answered him with a poker face.

“To my shift, which might be the last one too but well. Enjoy your dinner.”

“What is he talking about?" the blonde made his usual ‘wtf’ face.

 “Trust me, I don’t know either.” Namjoon just shrugged before he picked up his spoon, ignorantly decided to just finish his foods before the noisy chef starts to nag for not finishing his foods.

 “Yo Jeon!” Taehyung called out right before Jungkook went too far from the café. The young receptionist spun on his heels and gave the manager a look.

“Just where do you think you’re going huh?”

“To my shift?” the younger made a face as if he just told Taehyung that an egg is round-shaped and the Earth is round. For that, he victoriously gained himself a smack on his head with the manager’s flying shoe.

“What the hell are you talking about? Last shift? Pack up? Who said you can do that?” Taehyung was clearly raging. He took the chance to get close to the younger as Jungkook groaned and rubbed his forehead.

“Well isn’t that a given considering what I had done…” Ju