Chapter Text

Yoongi and Jimin ended up sleeping on the school field that night, the breeze lulling them into a deep slumber without the two of them realizing it. They just talked about stuff like usual which contents Yoongi couldn't even remember. He didn't even remember at which point of conversation did his eyes feel heavy before he fell asleep . What he saw and heard the next day was a series of giggles and laughter, accompanied by something that felt like shadows hovering above him. As he cracked open his eyes, what greeted him next was smirking faces, watching him closely as he rubbed his eyes open with the back of his hand whilst letting out a yawn.

Turned out, both Jimin and him had slept oh-so-soundly on the school field, that they became the object of admiration by almost the entire school's inhabitant the next morning on Tuesday. He ended up bolting upright, grabbing his bag and kicked the still-sleeping Jimin heartlessly on the shin before leaving for the classroom (Jimin was even still sleeping soundly, the boy finally waking up with a yelp thanks to the kick). O f course, what he got that day was the complete mockery of the entire students, eyes locking towards him with some witty (or completely horrible) joke about sleeping on public places.

“You could always stay at my place, you know that hyung. No need to sleep on the field like that,” Hoseok said during recess, pulling a joke on him.

“Hey, it's not like that. We just went stargazing,” he said back, mumbling under his breath.

Stargazing turned out to be the wrong answer, for his friends laughed instead.

“Awh, Yoongi-hyung being so sweet. I can't believe I live to see this day,” Hoseok said, trying to hug him from behind before he turned around and smacked the younger on his head.

“I'm bitter and sour, not sweet. And stop all of this joke before I obliterate you,” he said, threatening his friends.

Though of course, they wouldn't be his friends indeed if they did listen to what he had to say.

“You two went stargazing alone? That's so romantic, hyung,” Namjoon joked.

He knew that his friends were indeed joking, but both Jimin and him knew it was something more than that. Jimin who was seated across of him had been quite during the entire conversation and Yoongi froze this time, not daring to lift his head and search for the younger's eyes.

“Oh please, hyung, if you knew anything about romance, nothing could defeat me and Hoseok,” Taehyung said suddenly, saving him from the answer, this time puckering his lips and tried to kiss Hoseok jokingly, who wasn't certainly ready for the assault.

They ended up teasing Taehyung and Hoseok for their so-called claim of being a sweet couple after the latter instinctively jerk away from the sudden assault. They all laughed along and Yoongi tried his best to go along with it. It had always been their joke, that Taehyung and Hoseok were closed to a disgusting married couple, but still they knew that it was a joke and nothing more . Even Hoseok needed to prepare himself for the banter or he wouldn't willingly let Taehyung kiss him on the cheek or have his arms wrapped around him.

Yoongi thought that their friends' tease was the worst that he would have to endure for the day. He was proven to be wrong, as they all ended up going home together with the girls, Jimin and Yoongi finally got the chance to join all of them for a trip to the mini market after being relieved temporarily from the ir detention.

“Even Seokjin never took me out for stargazing,” Minju as all of them hung out by the mini market.

“Well, your boyfriend has a lot to learn from me, then,” he said back with a smirk.

“Still, I never thought you're the melancholic type. Since when have you and Jimin been going out behind our back, eh?” she asked again, definitely joking.

The other laughed, of course, Yoongi being the highlight of the day because he simply slept on the school field with Jimin. But something snapped inside of him, his eyes getting wide. He couldn't really tell whether it was anger or worry, whether it was him somehow feeling scared and vulnerable, or it was him being simply disgusted. He only knew that it made him uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable.

“The two of you had been going back home together since forever anyway, right?” Yuna added.

“Who knew, maybe polishing chairs weren't the only thing that you two did on detention,” Minju said again, smirking, before the other responded with a clap, acknowledging how good of a joke it was.

It was nothing but a good joke, they probably thought, but it wasn't simply the case for him . They did the same thing for Hoseok and Taehyung. But they all didn't know. There was an underlying truth that they all didn't and would never know. He wanted to stop them, wanted to wipe that smile o ff their faces as they laughed to something that they found hilarious . Because it never was, especially to Jimin.

Surprisingly it wasn't him who put an end to it. It wasn't Min Yoongi who predictably raised his voice, putting on a serious glare and making sure that his friends shut his mouth.

“Stop it.”

It was Jimin instead, his tone sounding low, the boy who had been silent for all this time finally raising his voice.

“It's not funny,” he said again, looking at Minju right on the eyes.

They weren't expecting that at all. Yoongi was the one being teased the most and Jimin had simply been quite for the entire day . He could see the smile faltering from Minju's face, the girl getting the message that Jimin was indeed being serious. The same went for all of their friends, each oneof them finally turning their attention towards Jimin before looking to the ground respectively in guilt.

Just like that the laughter died, Minju letting out a small 'sorry' before avoiding Jimin's eyes. Somehow they all did the same, avoiding the younger boy's eyes afterward, even as they went back towards their respective home, not uttering another word after that.

+.-.+

School went on like usual the following day. The teasing had subsided and Yoongi realized it was him who received it the most from his fellow peers (Ikje still though, the boy supposedly holding some sort of grudge or something, he wouldn't leave him alone when he finally got something good to tease Yoongi with). Yoongi always brushed it off with a halfhearted threat of ending the other party's life (he threatened to castrate Ikje if he didn't stop the joke), whereas Jimin just kept his mouth shut, pulling out the same act of staring at the floor every time someone mentioned it .

Everything went on like usual, recess being spent like always, the others knowing their boundaries already not to mention anything pertaining that stupid joke. It was just an ordinary day with its strings of assignments and homework, notes and lectures.

O f course like any other normal day, it would be coming home from school with Jimin, waiting for him, leaning by the school gate.

He didn't come home with Jimin yesterday after their little stop at the mini market and he kind of got the message that the boy wanted to spend some time alone after what he had said to Minju and the others. He went back to Namjoon's place afterward in which he had stored most of his belongings in, his best friend even protested about all of his stuff taking half of his room already (which was simply an exaggeration).

Once again he found sleep being so distant from him that night, despite the fact that he had had the minimum amount of sleep the earlier day. It was Namjoon's loud snore and his own racing thoughts that filled the entire room. He kept on thinking about Jimin, wondering whether the boy was all right. What did he think about the whole ordeal, about the whole school teasing the two of them? It sure did make him feel uncomfortable, Yoongi could tell.

An uncomfortable Jimin meant an uncomfortable Yoongi as well, he felt like he owed an apology to Jimin somehow.

“Hey Jimin.”

The younger boy was walking ahead of him, kicking on a pebble on the ground as if he was some sort of a professional football player. The Park answered him with a hum without turning his head around, still focused on the small little pebble that he had been practically kicking from the school gate all the way to the Auraji Bridge.

“Can I talk to you about something?” he asked. Yoongi didn't really know how to express his words. What happened yesterday wasn't actually a big thing, but it made him felt as if he had done something wrong.

“About what?” Jimin said, still not turning his eyes. It was weird but he could tell from the boy's tone alone that he was actually doing fine, no hint of sadness whatsoever.

“I just want to apologize,” he muttered slowly.

Only then did Jimin turn around, looking at him with his brows furrowed.

“What do you mean, hyung?”

They were both stopping on their tracks, standing on the Auraji Bridge with the scarlet sky above their head. The road was empty like it usually was, no passing vehicles or even fellow pedestrian. Or maybe it was Yoongi's mind playing a trick on him, because somehow that was the only scene that his mind could process. Maybe all this time there were indeed passing cars and pedestrian alike along the road that they walked on each day. But to Yoongi, it would always be Jimin and him underneath the sky and nothing more.

“About yesterday,” he said softly.

Jimin's expression didn't change. He still looked a bit confused before he stepped closer towards him.

“Why do you want to apologize?”

Yoongi didn't really know, but it felt like the right thing to do.

“I don't know, I just realized how uncomfortable you are because of the joke yesterday,” he went on, his eyes searching for the sky instead as he tried to form his thoughts and feelings into proper, understandable words that weren't just ink upon paper.

It wasn't that the day was wrong. He wouldn't give it up for anything else, stargazing with Jimin that was. It shouldn't be wrong in the slightest and that was probably why he felt uncomfortable, because the jokes made it as if it was wrong. It shouldn't be. It was normal to do such thing with your best friend.

Even if the said best friend was in love with him.

“Hey, it's all right,” Jimin said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You didn't do anything wrong. You don't have to apologize, hyung.”

“But wouldn't it bother you?”

Jimin let out a sad smile. He took his hand off of Yoongi as he heard the words and he couldn't help but to think that maybe he had used the wrong words.

“It didn't bother me at all,” he whispered again, though Yoongi could only think now that the words were nothing but lies. “It was you that I'm worried about, hyung.”

“Why?”

Jimin had his eyes on the ground again before he gulped down and looked back at Yoongi straight on the eyes.

“I was afraid that you would be disgusted by it,” he said softly. Only now did Yoongi feel the said sadness. He could feel it in his bone, Jimin's emotion reflecting upon him like a mirror. “That you would hate the joke because you know that I-”

That Jimin liked boys. That he wasn't normal, wasn't like the rest of the world expected him to be. That he probably wished for it to be true as well, hoping that society could accept him just as he was, him spending a night with the boy that he loved would be seen as something entirely normal.

For the slightest of moment, Yoongi could understand Jimin's longings. The only thing that the boy probably wanted was to be understood, to be seen as normal. He had lost all of that in Seoul and he had gotten his second chance now in Yeoryang-myeon amongst people he could call hisfriends. By this time, he knew already that impulsive was a trait that Min Yoongi secretly held, for he just grabbed both of Jimin's wrists at that moment, squeezing it tightly underneath his grip as if trying to make sure that he got his point through.

“So what's the deal if you liked men. I don't care. You could like bigfoot or yeti or ing Mrs. Oh for all I care and you would still be my best friend,” he said.

Jimin's eyes widened and Yoongi could feel it as well, the sadness disappearing just like the sun rising at the early break of dawn in the morning, casting the dark clouds aside.

“I would never be disgusted by you,” he said, squeezing Jimin's arm tight.

The boy smiled in front of him and of course it was nothing but Jimin and him underneath the scarlet sky like always, the younger broke out into a joke about how it would still be disgusting if it was Mrs. Oh that he was harboring feeling for. It turned into Yoongi smacking Jimin's head for not appreciating his seriousness, before it was the younger who this time that maybe it was him who was having a kink for women with facial hair.

Either way, it was indeed Jimin and him underneath the scarlet sky, running through the empty road of Seongcheon-gil with linked hands. He didn't really know how it happened, but Yoongi could only tell that he really didn't mind the gaps that Jimin's fingers filled upon his.

The brat would never disgust me.

+.-.+

October passed in a blur. They had extra studies almost every day, basketball even ended up being forgotten for a while . Namjoon turned into their own private tutor, breaking his sweat while trying to explain to Taehyung how to do basic maths again. Jungkook who was ever so kind helped them with the study, learning late until night with them even though he didn't need to. Yoongi still took turn sleeping at his friends' house, though most of the time the seven of them just stayed the night altogether after a long tiring session of history or math. But of course, Yoongi still took time to stay at Jimin's place, eating dinner together with the old Park who was more than happy to have her house filled with people again.

Something changed ever since that day, Yoongi could tell, even though he couldn't figure out what it was. It was probably the weather, everything becoming colder, the summer completely forgotten. But no, it wasn't really the weather either . Nor was it his friends who just pulled out their daily act of stupidity like he always knew the y would . Nor was it Yujin, who still flashed him a warm, genuine smile, making small conversation from time to time.

And nor was it Jimin as well, the boy still smiling like always. He laughed like usual when they were amongst the seven of them, hugging Yoongi from behind in a surprising act in the middle of their rare basketball practice. They would lock eyes in the middle of a loud dinner upon Seokjin's homemade jajjangmyeon with no distinct reason. Sometimes it would be Jimin raising an eyebrow, asking whether Yoongi had something to ask before he mimicked the gesture, claiming it was the younger that wanted to do exactly that.

October did pass in a blur and before Yoongi even realized it, the road that he went through each day was now blazing red, as if he was walking on fire, the dead leaves scattered all around him, making a soft cracking noise with each step that he took.

November came knocking them off of their feet and Namjoon was starting to break under the realization that Suneung was coming in a week. With seven days being laid between them and the horrific exam, Taehyung came up with the stupidest idea of just giving up altogether, letting fate decided where it would lead the six of them to a beautiful future o r pulling their head out until they were bald like the autumn's trees. Taehyung was indeed right, and it was probably the reason why they spent one night on the hill with thick layers of clothes and a pack of firework.

It was actually Seokjin who asked Jimin one day out of curiosity about what stargazing felt like, before their newest addition to the member proposed the idea of doing exactly that two nights away from the actual Suneung. His troublesome seatmate devoted himself entirely to make the night memorable, he brought along the pack of fireworks. Their youngest protested how child ish it was, before ended up being the most immersed one from all of them, flailing the lit firework upon the night air, trying to make an initial of his name.

They were making a good memory, Yoongi realized. Jimin had asked him whether they would last until spring. It wouldn't spring that he would ask about. Yoongi would ask whether they would last forever. He simply couldn't imagine how, for the love of his life, would he find such friends like he had found here in Yeoryang-myeon again .

The answer would be simple.

He wouldn't.

+.-.+

“You sure you got all your pencils sharpened, hyung?” asked Jungkook.

“Don't worry. I've spent the whole night writing a cheat note on my entire arm,” Taehyung said, grinning, before Namjoon smacked him on the head.

“I couldn't sleep the entire night. I had drunk three cups of coffee today just to make sure I wouldn't drool on my answer sheet,” Seokjin said, rubbing his eyes. He clearly looked like a man deprived of sleep, the bags under his eyes were something you couldn't ignore.

“Don't let that three cups of coffee bring you to the toilet, hyung,” Hoseok said back.

They were all huddling together on the school field with the rest of the third graders, waiting to be lined up and brought to the battlefield. Jungkook was there just to cheer them up, even though he got the day off.

“Hey, don't worry, we all got this. You were all even more nervous on our first game,” Jimin said, somehow being the only one who still had a wide smile on his face.

“Well, if I was Namjoon I would be nervous whether all of the pencils that I used would break underneath my grip,” Yoongi .

“Hey, such thing wouldn't happen, okay? And even if it did, ten pencils in a row wouldn't just decided to randomly break!”

+.-.+

“But two did!” Hoseok screamed out loud, soju bottle in hand and face looking extremely red. “Two pencils did ing break!”

It was somewhere past midnight after their dreaded battle and the seven of them was probably drunk in victory. Yoongi couldn't even tell whether it was a victory or a defeat. Suneung held no significance to him since he wouldn't enter any university upon arriving to Seoul. Either way, the exam was finally over and the first thing that came to their mind afterward was a celebration, of course, the six of them plus Jungkook gathering in Seokjin's home like usual with bottles of soju ready to be opened.

“I can't believe it. How could you manage to break two ing pencils in suneung, hyung?!” Hoseok said, being completely drunk whilst shaking Namjoon hard.

“Hey, I don't know. Blame the pencil. I'm not going to entrust my future education with Faber Castell ever again,” said Namjoon who was as much as a drunkard that Hoseok was right now.

Their eldest, like usual, was already asleep, snoring loudly on the dinner table. Almost all of them had drunk more than they should, Taehyung being even more hyperactive, shouting really loud ly about the cost of freedom and being a man before pulling Jungkook into a dance. Yoongi did drink as well, thanking his ancestor at the same time for granting the Min family with something called high alcohol tolerance. It seemed like he was the only one who was still keeping his sanity, the red on his face being the only proof of the amount of alcohol that he had chugged.

“I can't believe Taehyung managed to coax Jungkook into waltz-dancing with him,” Jimin commented slowly as they witnessed the uncanny scene of the Jeon Jungkook hugging Taehyung like a little princess, the both of them tiptoeing across the room. Jungkook was certainly losing it as well for a wide smile was blooming across his red face.

Yoongi turned his head towards Jimin, the boy looking much sober than he had expected. Too sober for his liking, actually. Back then, Yoongi was the one in their group who could withstand the highest amount of alcohol. Now it seemed like he was having a competition and his pride definitely wouldn't be having that.

“Hey, why aren't you drunk?” Yoongi joked, nudging the boy.

Jimin let out a smirk.

“I had plenty of practice back there in Seoul, hyung,” the younger answered, nudging him back harder.

Even if Min Yoongi was indeed notorious for his alcohol tolerance, it seemed like he had indeed drunk too much this time, for Jimin's little nudge made his head spin a little bit, he even had to hold his body from falling with his hand supporting himself upon the floor.

“Hyung, don't tell me you've drunk too much,” Jimin said, realizing it and quickly teasing Yoongi about it.

“Am not!” Yoongi quickly said, bringing himself quickly together.

But maybe Jimin was right, since his body did feel warmer and his heart beating faster. Jimin was there right next to him, keeping his eyes on him with a smile across his face.

“Yeah, you definitely are,” Jimin said again, completely taunting him and enjoying the process altogether.

“No, I'm not,” Yoongi said again, ruffling his own hair this time and rubbing his eyes against the back of his palm, trying to clear his somehow clouded view.

“Look at me, then,” Jimin said, the boy sitting cross-legged in front of him with one hand holding his shoulder tight, as if making sure that he wouldn't fall again.

Yoongi was convinced that he wasn't drunk. At least not yet. He did drink more than usual. All of them did and look at where they were right now. Seokjin was fast asleep, Taehyung and Jungkook were dancing waltz, Hoseok and Namjoon were now speaking with some sort of a non comprehensible toddler language towards each other in what looked like a fight. And him? He was only there watching his other friends made a fool out of themselves, being completely sober with yet the also sober Park Jimin in front of him.

“Look at me if you're not drunk,” Jimin said, his voice somehow turning into a low whisper, the grip on his shoulder feeling tighter.

“Or what?” Yoongi said, taunting the boy back. His eyes were still fixed on the tiled floor with a small smirk blooming on his face. He certainly didn't drink that much but his head was starting to spin a bit.

It was Park Jimin who was too sober for his own good now. Park Jimin his best friend.

“Or I would have-,”

(Park Jimin who said that nothing needed to change. Park Jimin who was still in love with him.)

Yoongi lifted his head and saw his Park Jimin on the eyes. He was convinced that he wasn't drunk but his heart did beat faster and his body feeling warmer.

One thought crossed his mind that moment.

Since when did looking into Park Jimin's eyes became so unbearable?

(“ Or you would have what ?” Yoongi asked later, which Jimin of course answered with a shake of his head followed by a low “Nothing.”)

The brat is surprisingly good with alcohol.