-invasion, retreat-

Jimin is a rational coward backing off the battlefield rather than holding his stance

6th January, 2014.

Monday.

Jimin walks into Bangtan High School at 06:50 in the morning, and was slightly thrown off by the amount of junior high students. He waltzes past a few Year 1s who look like lost sheep out on the field, and winces slightly at how they are dressed, shirt tucked all the way in and bottoms baggy and huge.

I can't believe I was one of them 4 years back, he thinks in minor remorse, a history I want to burn. He pauses to study his reflection in the glass panels, and the smarter-looking senior high uniform on him made him feel even more like a senior. He starts walking again, back straight, shoulders set, and silently enjoying the way the young kids look up at him.

See, I'm pretty tall, he tells himself in glee as he brushes past more junior high kids on his way to the canteen. So many sprouts.

He drops his stuff down at a random table near the entrance because that's the closest-to-clean table that is in sight without having to walk further. The time is 7:02am and flag raising is exactly 48 minutes away; Jimin surveys the largely empty canteen and starts to regret life decisions.

His mental debate with himself of morning seat-possible buses against more sleep less boredom was rudely ended at 7:10 when another human sinks onto the bench opposite him, and a familiar ugly purple file was smacked onto the table, barely far enough from his face. Jimin doesn't even bother to look up as he offers a "fck you", before sweeping the file closer to him and slops over it.

Jungkook swats at his arm. "Get off my file."

"I refuse."

"…"

"And I know you're giving me the finger, Jeon Jungkook. Respect your elders."

"You're such a baby, neko. No one believes that you're two months older with that face of yours."

"You mean with that old face of yours, jeon."

"Nah, you're just a fetus."

"Well if I'm a fetus then what does that make Tae huh? An egg?"

Somewhere in between, early wins the debate, because there's always Jeon Jungkook who takes the early school bus. Jeon Jungkook who keeps him mildly entertained despite his annoying company with insignificant banters exchanged.

Now, now, don't get me wrong. Park Jimin and Jeon Jungkook were still the best of friends then, they just find joy in dissing each other even though it's meaningless and they've had the same exchange so often they'd know exactly what will be coming next and the response would just slip out without needing to be processed by the brain.

But today, Jungkook has more to say than their routine. Instead of responding with "nah he's just a on the way", he falls silent for a moment before shoving his phone to Jimin.

"Read," Jungkook says.

Jimin raises an eyebrow but complies.  He scrolls through what seems to be the facebook chat history of Jungkook and Taehyung last night, and he can pretty much see Taehyung's rage through the screen.

"Capitalised first letter, formal wordings, paragraphing..." he finally says, putting the phone down. "Damn, you really pissed Tae off."

"I realised when we stopped talking after Taiwan," Jungkook deadpans. "No but seriously, read this," he jabs a finger at the screen. "What the hell does he mean he can't stand my mood swings anymore and he's sick of me acting like an all the time? He's no better than me!"

"…"

Jungkook continues to complain of the lack of sense Taehyung makes (mostly "can you even believe he actually said that" and "I swear he's just being a prick"), and Jimin attempts to reason without sounding too Jungkook-biased, before realising that he isn't being much help.

(What 2014 Jimin doesn't realise was how fcked up he is given how Taehyung has been his friend since Year 1 and honestly speaking? Those sentiments Taehyung raised were shared by Jimin too, he was just too blinded to see that then.)

Thankfully, flag raising discontinued the conversation, ending Jimin's pain of 'watching' his best friends fight. He shuffled his feet while waiting for Jungkook to gather his things, before deciding to ask the question.

"So… you and Tae…?"

"We will be exactly what he wants," Jungkook replies, looking unimpressed.

Jimin mumbles an okay before they make their way to the hall.

They are about to find their own class in the crowd, when Jungkook yelled after him. "Meet at canteen after?"

Jimin pauses, and then raises his hand up with the okay. It's still hard to accept how his clique has officially broken apart, but he tries not to think about it as he weaves through the crowd to a waving Bambam.

Tae's still gonna be a friend, Jimin tells himself. And I'll still have jeon around anyway.

Orientation is wild even if it's just day one, his new class is nice but he sticks to Bambam, Jimin had fun even though it was tiring, and he went home with Jungkook when they were dismissed. They shared their experience that day and talked about new classmates as they walked to the train station.

Jimin got off after two stops to change lines, and of course they had the same argument ("say bye to me" "no" "but neko that's rude" "precisely so" "fck you" "no thanks jeon, I'd rather not") every time they part ways. He made a face at Jungkook's glare through the windows.

After Jimin gets on the other train, he texts Taehyung to ask about his day. They have it going for a while. Then Jimin brings up the question.

Chim: so… about you and jeon…?

Chim: are you guys really not gonna talk anymore?

Chim: tae?

Taetae: yeah.

Taetae: I'm like

Taetae: done with his sh*t.

Chim: Oh.

Taetae: yeah.

Taetae: it's okay though, you don't have to be bothered.

Taetae: I don't mind.

Taetae: like yaknow

Taetae: if you're still besties with him and all.

Chim: ... tae?

Taetae: yeah yeah I know I'm the best right

Taetae: SAY YOU LOVE ME

Chim: YOU LOVE ME

Taetae: you're lame as ever chim

Jimin is thankful to have Taehyung.

xxx

On day 2 Jimin came to school with a low fever. The moment Jungkook found out, he dragged Jimin to the general office to have Jimin excused from school. Jimin protested the whole way, spluttering about "I'm fine damn it you're over-reacting jeon" and "you're worse than my mother wtf". He was still sent home, to no avail.

He sends Jungkook a picture of his MC and medicine later, along with a "are you pleased now jeonmama". Hours later, Jungkook replies: "….don't call me that" and "yesh....good....". Jimin will never be alright with how Jungkook texts - everything from the 4 dots to the lack of space between adjacent words annoys him, but he still rolls his eyes and replies a "yeah sure sure" good-naturedly.

The next day Jimin is back in school, back in the canteen, back at the same table with Jungkook. But something's different today, because halfway through, a stranger-slash-Jungkook's-new-classmate came up and asked if he could sit. The question was directed at Jungkook, but Jungkook is looking at Jimin, so Jimin shrugs and said he doesn't mind.

They are introduced to each other, Jungkook's style ("neko, this is Seokjin; Seokjin this is Jimin, Park Jimin"). Jimin smiles and awkwardly tries to small talk. "Oh, Seokjin, I think you were my camp mate in Year 2?" "Yeah, we were partners during kayaking right?"

When Seokjin goes to buy drinks, Jimin glares at Jungkook, who's been sitting there just stretching and watching them. "Dude you could have been more helpful you know I hate socialising" are the silent words and of course Jungkook gets the message because he only grins cockily before mouthing a "I know" back. Jimin smacks him with his ugly purple file repeatedly, and Seokjin chose this unfortunate moment to come back.

Jimin quickly drops the file and scrambles to explain himself because Seokjin looks beyond taken aback. "Ah, sorry, I was just-"

"-abusing me," Jungkook cuts in, feigning pain. "Child abuse!"

"You only remember that you're two months younger than me at these moments," Jimin hisses back, eyes narrowing as he reached for the file again, before realising that Seokjin is still there, so he retracted his hand slowly and offers an awkward smile. Jungkook dies in silent laughter watching the corner of Jimin's eyes twitch, and Jimin kicks him under the table while trying to pick up small talk again with a still-stricken-looking Seokjin.

Three more random strangers approached their table subsequently, asking to sit down. More awkward introductions: Jinyoung, Youngjae, Yugyeom. More small talks. Jungkook eventually joins in because Jimin's this close to breaking his leg.

When they make their way out for flag raising, Jimin decides that he didn't like Youngjae - his face irks Jimin, and he doesn't know why.

And well, 2014 Jimin should have listened to his instincts.

Either ways, he goes through day 3 of orientation in high spirits. Bambam told him it was good that he didn't come yesterday because there was a lot of running and sweating, Jimin winced at that and blessed Jungkook for sending him home. By dinner time, the entire senior high cohort are standing atop canteen tables, engaged in heated cheering battles between houses, and amidst the chaos they're putting on face paint and other temporary tattoos on any exposed skin. Jimin feels ridiculously hyper and Bambam had to physically hold him down during campfire. He forgets all about the momentary discomfort that morning as he sings along to the songs and screams support for his own house.

A terrible sore throat and a relapse of the fever are the aftereffects of hanging around until the campfire was put out, but Jimin doesn't really care because orientation was crazy fun and he loved it.

What Jimin doesn't expect though, is that the sickness dragged for the next 3 months, and what he and Jungkook used to share died out just like that campfire.

xxx

By the end of the first week, morning conversations went from Jimin trying to initiate small talk while Jungkook enjoys his pain, to Jungkook and classmates talking while Jimin attempts to catch up.

By the end of week two, Jimin can no longer join in their conversations - teachers, science subjects, class committee elections. Instead, he plugs in his earpiece and does his tutorials, but nothing useful is ever produced. He blames it on the noise Jungkook and his classmates are making. Jungkook caught him glaring once, and mouthed a sorry as he told the others to lower their volume.

At that, Youngjae jabs Jimin's elbow, and as a result there's a strike on his math tutorial. Jimin doesn't really give a fck about math, but he frowned when he saw how Youngjae wasn't even looking in his direction and Jungkook definitely didn't notice.

Jabs became 'accidental' kicks and elbowing over the days. Jimin deduces that Youngjae doesn't like him, and feeling's neutral. He could tell that Youngjae's been trying to exclude Jimin from conversations, and it was funny to watch him struggle. Jimin doesn't even bother to go against his wish, because Jungkook talks to him at random intervals even if it's just useless exchange. It is funny to see how the smug look gets erased off Youngjae's face and becomes replaced with one that had just seemingly ate sh*t.

Why do you even try, Jimin thinks to himself, almost in pity, silently laughing when Jungkook proves his point for the third time that morning.

xxx

Maybe hard work does indeed move God, because by week 3 Jungkook barely talks to Jimin once his friends reached. (See, now they're already friends, not just classmates anymore.)

He sees it in the smugness Youngjae wears on his face.

I don't belong here was what screams at him every morning when he makes his way to the same table, even if none of the other people who would sit there are there yet.

It’s almost hilarious, and Jimin would laugh until it hurts. Because this was his table to begin with.

And his Jungkook.

xxx

The last week of January, and one morning Jimin's fever-induced headache is acting up more terribly than it usually would. He falls asleep playing Plants vs Zombies on the bus, and when he jolted awake moments later, he could swear he saw zombies of identical smug faces halfway across the field, and all defence was given up. He shook his head a few times as his vision clears, and by the time he look down at his phone screen again, it's just "the zombies ate your brains" followed by a "game over".

Jimin doesn't click the "try again" option.

"You can't lose something that is truly yours," Jimin recites to himself quietly, leaning against the window. "You shouldn't have to fight for what is yours in the first place."

He was walking towards the canteen when he saw Bambam sitting at the benches down the Junior High block. Then before he knew what he's doing, he'd already gotten a "sure bro" and he's sitting down.

Jimin stops going to the canteen since then. Even though he doesn't belong at the benches either, because Peniel would arrive just minutes before the bell and each time Jimin just tries to minimise his existence and shrink away.

He feels guilty that he's intruding on Bambam's personal time with his best friend, but he doesn't want to be alone (neither does he have the superb time management like Peniel to arrive just in time), and it kind of hurts watching them interact.

He used to belong somewhere too.

Just, not anymore.

-TBC-

Naggy author time!

Quick explanation if you didn't catch them from the foreword: Year 1 to 6 corresponds with Grades 7 to 12; Junior High refers to students of year 1-4, Senior High refers to students of year 5 & 6. Jimin and Jungkook are in Year 5, different class and different house. Taehyung's in a different high school now (as mentioned in prelude).

So yep!!! This is chap 1, I'm sorry this took a while. If I hadn’t mentioned, updates are bound to be infrequent, I'm not the kind of author who will promise you I'll update every Tuesday or sth. I aim to (have to, because college is starting) finish this in 4 months or less, just so you know, so yeah updates won't be that rare lol. This should be a 10+ chap fic. I hope. My word count for the chapters average at 2k.

A lil about my writing habit, I tend to have a few bullet points about what I will include in the chap (it can be two lines or one paragraph, depending on how lazy I feel when I jot them down), and one random night when I'm in the mood I'll write the full chap at one go (I simply do not stop once I start). I'll beta it the next morning, and publish it by the afternoon. I don't really have much writing rituals, just a BTS piano cover playlist and a cup of some random hot drink (and idk I write better when my room smells of coffee but I don’t actually drink it XD).

And gosh it's kinda weird to address Jungkook by jeon XDXD s'okay I'll get used to it.

PS: I already miss Jimin's red hair sobs. And Yoongi's mint hair. 2015 was the best hair era for yoonmin I swear. And I am dying for Yoongi's mixtape wtf have been waiting for that since three years ago. Rumours has it that it's coming out on 10th April I PRAY IT IS REAL.

Anyways omg why am I so naggy. How did you find this chap? Comment and tell me ks :) Anw thank you my lovely subbies (new or old), I hope this won't disappoint you ^^