Jimin did not mind being wounded as long as Taehyung could feel better. 

"Hit me." Jimin felt like he needed to get it out of his system. "Do it. Your mom died. Because I didn't care enough to know what was going on." 

" off." Taehyung flicked off Jimin's earnest grip over his arms. He could see that Jimin was trying to break the wall between them, but he was fine with the wall as it is. "Get out of my sight."

"Taehyung." Jimin pleaded. "You don't have to deal with this alone."

Taehyung was no longer listening, and there was nothing Jimin could say or do to reel him back from a state of oblivion. His eyes were glossed over and he swayed dangerously near the roof's parapet. When bad thoughts threatened to overwhelm him, the only way Taehyung has ever managed to stay afloat was to throw himself down in submission and self destruct like firewood with the sole purpose of burning out beautifully. He would go down in flames, if only to fan the self-hatred he bore inside him.

There was nothing left to say to Park Jimin. This ends here, Taehyung decided.

He would get out of this hospital. No more holding back for his cowardice.

"If you need to stay in this hospital......Then stay." Jimin was no mind reader, but he was prepared to go to great lengths to meet Taehyung's every need without justification. "I can arrange that."

Jimin's desperation was only met with silent treatment on Taehyung's end. He will never be able to catch up with Taehyung's thoughts. Any previous attempt he had made was just feeble and forced.

Was there ever a time he could convince Taehyung that he truly cared? Not once. He has only ever caused him trouble.

"I'm s-sorry." Jimin could not control the wave of apologies that welled up. "I-I'm sorry that I probab-bly am the last person you tr-rust... a-and sorry th-that I ca...can't do anything for you..."

Jimin's voice was shuddering. He hated appearing weak. But he hated the feeling of losing touch with Taehyung more. If Taehyung were to walk away right now, they may never speak again. Taehyung who had dropped in on him like a bomb, may simply exit his life without a trace. What more could he say to retain him?

Taehyung was already climbing over the glass barrier that cordoned off the extension part of the roof. Now that Jimin had avoided any risk of falling to his death, Taehyung had no qualms about leaving him behind.

Jimin knew he could not keep Taehyung from leaving, and chose to cross over to the open pages of the journal on his knees, not caring that the floor scraped his skin in his recall and new-found urgency to discover the written message that Taehyung had left in the journal. He had seen him scribbling in it at the very least. Maybe it was nothing important, but it was all that Jimin could hang on to right now.

Jimin skimmed over the page in haste to locate Taehyung's handwriting - he did a double take when he finally saw what was written.

"Jiminie is an idiot."

That was all it said.

As Jimin looked at the childish scrawl penned by Taehyung's hand through his wet eyes, he realised that this was whom he believed Taehyung to be. This was whom he wanted to preserve and protect. If Taehyung let him.

Taehyung had his back half turned. When he did throw one last look over his shoulder at Jimin, his eyes were stone cold and as distant as Mars. Trails of drying tears dotted his cheeks, but his face was pulled tight to obliterate any emotions. He wet his lips to speak the words that made his mouth run dry. 

"Park Jimin...... Just stay away from me."

Jimin teared up like a broken dam, looking at Taehyung like he deserved much more than the best he could do, and also seemed rather unconsolable at being called an idiot in the journal. That's just what he is. A true idiot who wouldn't stop making himself vulnerable for another's sake. For a fleeting moment, Taehyung reflected on the unrelenting tears escaping Jimin's heavy-lidded fond eyes, but determined to break eye contact. Hardening his resolve, he walked away knowing that Jimin wasn't ready to give up on him just yet.

But he was ready to give himself up.