“Jungkook, why didn’t you eat your lunch?” It was the third time this week and Jimin was fed up with wasting any more food. Jungkook, on the other hand, was on their shared bed colouring in his book, blocking out the voices that nagged him about not eating the triangle kimbap for what seemed to him to be the hundredth time.

Their home was small; one bedroom, a kitchen and a makeshift living room that could only fit a couch and a small tv. So it was clear to Jimin that Jungkook was ignoring him. “Don’t make me ask twice, why didn’t you eat your lunch?” Silence echoed against the small apartment and Jimin could only sigh as he put the kimbap in his own bag, he would eat it later at work. He picked out an apple from the fridge and sliced it for Jungkook. Jimin was used to the silence that his younger brother gave him when they were alone but it didn’t mean that it hurt any less.

“That’s a nice spaceship Kookie.”

Jungkook kept colouring and watched as Jimin place the plate of apples next to the bed. “I’m heading off to work, make sure you don’t open the door for anyone. Taehyung should be back soon.” Large eyes blinked at him expressionlessly and Jimin smiled before grabbing his jacket. “Love you.”

Jungkook watched as the front door close and picked up an apple, he placed it back on to the plate and brought it to the kitchen. He didn’t want to eat them cause Jimin prepared it for him.  And Jimin didn’t play games with him like Taehyung. Jimin didn’t pack yummy lunches. And it was a firetruck not a spaceship, he bet Taehyung would’ve got it right. He had just put the plate in the sink after throwing the apples in the trash when Taehyung walked in with a smile and a white bag.

“What are you doing in the kitchen Kookie?” Before the latter could even answer, Taehyung had already stepped over to see the freshly cut apples sit in the garbage. “Did you throw them away?”

Jungkook nodded.

“Why did you throw them away?”

“I’m not hungry.”

Taehyung knew when Jungkook was lying but let it slide. “Then I guess you wouldn’t want to eat some of the yummy snacks I brought for you right?”

Jungkook’s eyes widened and jumped up to reach for the snacks. “No! I’m hungry!”

“Then tell me why you threw the apples away.” His large hand brushed out the hairs that were sticking up from Jungkook’s head.

“Beacuse Jimin hyung cut them for me.”

A frown fell upon hearing Jimin’s name and Taehyung bent down to Jungkook’s height. “Jungkook, you know Jimin hyung works hard to buy us yummy food so you can grow big and tall right?” He nodded. “What if he saw those apples in the trash? Jungkook I am very disappointed in you.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t do it again. Let’s wash our hands and eat these snacks okay?”

Jungkook didn’t like Jimin, he even made Taehyung mad at him.

The next morning, Jimin was walking in the front door when he saw Taehyung brew coffee. A tired smile greeted the taller and it worried him. “Did you work an extra night shift again?”

Jimin took a seat at the kitchen counter. “They needed the help and Jungkook wouldn't eat the kimbap I made him so maybe the extra money could help with his lunches.”

“He didn’t eat the apples either last night.”

All the energy left him. “Maybe cause it was the mushy type. Jungkook hates those.”

Taehyung didn’t have the heart to tell him why Jungkook threw them away so he opted to just nod and place a cup of coffee in front of him. “Hyung, let me get a job too.”

Jimin looked at the steam that came from the coffee and shook his head. “You need to focus in your classes and get that law degree.” There was silence as the two of them sat in front of each other sipping tea. “I was thinking you know. That I could drop out and work full time.”

The coffee burned Taehyung’s tongue. “What?”

“It wasn’t like a dancing degree would do any good anyways.”

“Jimin-”

“There wouldn't be tuition fees from me and I would be able to bring home more money.”

“Think this through, you’re not in the right state of mind right now hyung.”

Jimin placed his chin on his palm. “Jungkook is growing older too, he’ll be turning seven soon and he should be able to go on trips with his family like other kids do. And I’d be able to pack you both lunches.”

The alarm clock from the bedroom rang and Taehyung made his way to the bedroom. “We’re continuing this after I send Jungkook to school.”

Everyday, Taehyung would walk Jungkook to school in the mornings and eat dinner with him after a day of lectures. Jimin would pack Jungkook’s lunch before going to school, pick Jungkook up and after giving him a snack, he would leave for work at the gas station. Jimin wanted the best for his brothers since, in the end, it felt that it was his fault they landed themselves in such a life.

“C’mon Kookie, you don’t want to miss Jimin hyung’s competition right?”
“No! Me want to see! Me want to see!”

Jungkook reached for his mother’s arms and cheered happily when he was strapped in his car seat next to Taehyung.

“I told Jimin we would go eat his favourite steak if he wins takes home first place.”

“Yes! C’mon dad you know you love steak too.”

“Which is why I’m expecting him to win!”

They could only laugh along as Jungkook cheered “Steak! Steak!”

Three weeks passed ever since Jimin had brought up dropping out of school and Taehyung had genuinely thought that Jimin dismissed the idea. But three days of Jimin walking Jungkook to school and packing better lunches for both of them, it didn’t take a genius to figure out what Jimin had done. Jungkook was at a friends house and the two of them were sitting on the couch with the tv playing in the background.

“I can’t believe you actually did it.”

Jimin looked down at his lap where Taehyung’s head was, crying. His tears were soaking through his pants. “Stop crying.”

“What do you want me to do? Laugh?” He wiped his tears. “Nothing I do can replace what you’ve done hyung.”

“Just. I don’t know, buy me a car when you graduate.”

Jimin felt a soft punch to his stomach. “You don’t even have a licence.”

Jimin held up the trophy for first place but as he scanned the crowd for familiar faces, only to frown in disappointment. Once he got off stage, his dance instructor had pat him on the back , congratulating him and told him to get his things. “We need to go to the hospital.”

The drive there was just questions but none that were answered. His mouth only stopped when he saw Taehyung crying against the bed where Jungkook laid.

“Taehyung-ah.”

The boy looked up with bloodshot eyes. “J-Jimin.”

Jimin released the trophy that was in his two arms and ran over. The metal echoing off the walls. “What happened?”

“Green light, we were supposed to go. Green, the light was green.”

The doctor later told Jimin that they had driven over a patch of ice, the rest was only a loud hum of voices to Jimin.

It was September and Jungkook was in high school. The boy could only roll his eyes at his brother’s enthusiastic nudges when he saw back to school ads on the tv, which were on at every commercial break. Over the years, he learned to just ignore Jimin and let him do whatever he wanted because it was easier than getting in trouble from Taehyung for how rude he was acting.

“I got your uniform all ironed and it’s hanging behind the door.”

Jungkook only nodded, his gaze not shifting from the tv.

“I got the meat all marinated, I was thinking of making your favourite for your first day of school.”

“Great.”

Jimin told himself that sarcasm was better than the usual silence. “You okay with onions?”

“Tasty.”

He could only heave a sigh before walking to the kitchen.

Taehyung was walking out of the elevator of their apartment when he smelt the burnt stench coming from the direction of his home. He quickened his pace and took out his keys; hands frozen when he heard Jungkook arguing with Jimin.

“All you ever do is work at the gas station, why can’t you even get a better job? For more than half a decade that’s where you’ve been. You think that’s something to be proud of? Something to tell my friends who have parents that are doctors? At least Taehyung is graduating this year, I can tell them that my only brother is a lawyer.”

Jimin clenched onto the knife harder, back still facing Jungkook. “Are we not family?”

“Not for a while you haven’t.”

It went silent after that. Jimin threw the knife in the sink and if he could listen through his own sobs, he would’ve heard the muffled cries that Taehyung was trying to hold in behind the door.