“Don’t underestimate your feelings. It could grow branches and leaves bigger than you could ever imagine but roots could be just a few inches beneath the soil. Or it could even sprout without you noticing, but is there all along. And you, yourself, couldn’t even pull that off.”

Jin hums a song.

“Hyung, why are you singing?” Taehyung’s laugh was heard at the empty street, the two of them enjoying the ice cream Jin just bought. They both love ice creams; they never go home until they got those. And he never noticed how good ice creams are or the way to home was so fun until he walked them with Taehyung.

“Wae? Is my voice that bad?” Jin pouts.

“No. Of course not! Believe me, it’s really nice. But I was just wondering why you look so happy today?”

“I don’t exactly know why, too. But the closest answer would be… you.” And then he smiled at Taehyung.

“W-Why—You’re cheesy that my ice creaaaaaam!” Taehyung said and tried to hide the flush across his face.

Jin laughed as he watches him and laughed even more when the ice cream fell to the ground and the cone’s left in his hand.

“Yah! Hyung! This is your fault!” Taehyung tantrums.

Jin can’t stop laughing. “What did I do?!”

“Y-You—Aish. I’ll just throw this. Buy me another one.” Taehyung stood up and finds a trash can.

Jin chuckled and followed Taehyung with his eyes. Everything was going nice with them, he wasn’t even thinking what may happen tomorrow. He just wanted to enjoy every second he could spend with him. Or what they have right now. Or so he thought. No one between them have said yet what they really feel for each other, though he’s already sure of what his own heart does. And this time could be that time.

He walked and searched for him, and then he found Taehyung staring at the cone, still refusing on throwing it away. He must’ve really liked that ice cream. Jin smiled.

When he was behind Taehyung already, Jin rested his head on his back. Taehyung jolted. “H-Hyung, you scared me. What are you— “

“Just… let me stay like this for a while…” Jin requested.

“O-Okay.” Taehyung didn’t move, just listening to the serene breathes of his hyung. Jin was tense, but the warmth coming from Taehyung gave him a little assurance that everything is going to be fine.

“Taehyung… would you listen to me?” Jin softly asked after a while, his voice shook a bit.

Taehyung shifted, faced Jin and hugged him, resting his head on his shoulders, his right hand touching Jin’s hair and the other in his back. “I’m listening.”

“First, I really want to say I’m happy. I’m really happy with you, I’m really happy you agreed dating me even if you don’t feel anything for me.” He started.

“Hyung…”

Jin chuckles. “I know it. I know how helpful you are and you saw how much I’m suffering, carrying these feelings in me. You don’t know how much I watch you, don’t you? I just didn’t care even if you don’t like me the same way I do to you. I wanted to make you mine through any means possible. It’s okay with me if you don’t want people to know about us, or you don’t want me to kiss you without your consent. I don’t want to lose you. I figured that as long we are dating, then you’re still mine either way. And also, you accepted all my flaws, that person who fumbles on every single thing. Including his own feelings. You knew I wasn’t really sure what I felt when I asked you to date me. But you still did. You did all those things for me. If it’s because of love or because of friendship, it doesn’t matter. I want to thank you for those. I finally found myself.”

He continued. “Taehyung… I love you. I love you. I love you. I really do. The main reason I dated you is… just me hoping that these unclear, mixed up feelings of mine would disappear. But no such luck. You’ve been in my whole system and I don’t know what to do…”

Taehyung stopped running his hands on Jin’s hair, and his hug started to loose. Until they were just standing and staring at each other. “Well… I hate to admit it but I really agreed dating you without those feelings. So now… maybe you could— “

“No.” Jin suddenly protested.

“Huh?”

“Taehyung. I don’t care if you weren’t in love with me. Even if you find me annoying asking this… just please. Please don’t break up with me.”

He isn’t sure but maybe it was tears started to form in Taehyung’s eyes. “Hyung… what if I can’t give you anything in return?”

“It’s fine. I’m your boyfriend so I’m already happy I could be the closest to you. Maybe this relationship that bind us and my feelings for you were enough. And I’ll do anything so we could stay that way. Just please stay.”

Taehyung stared at him for a while and then flashed him a smile… that smile he always dreaded to see every time they are together. He thought, it was painful, knowing that Taehyung can’t return his feelings, but that smile takes it all away. He nodded. “Okay hyung. I won’t break up with you. I’m still yours. So buy me another ice cream, okay?”

Jin laughed and hugged him again tightly. “Yeah, sure. You could tell me any flavor that you want.”

And then this time, he felt Taehyung’s arms hugging him back.