Taehyung knocked on the door of Jimin's apartment and was greeted with silence. He rapped the door harder with more urgency while calling out his best friend's name.

"JIMIN?? Come on, we gotta get out of here... JIMIN!!!"

When Jimin finally answered the door, he didn't appear ready to go anywhere. His black boxers were halfway down his hips with untied drawstrings, and his white t-shirt was creased where one hand had tugged it over his bed hair in a hurry. This was a peculiar sight for his typically neat and ordered self. Jimin seemed startled to receive Taehyung at the door, and had to keep his stumbling feet in check.

"Taehyung." Jimin whistled in a bid to recover his breath.

"What were you doing? I called AND texted."

"I was sleeping." Jimin scratched his neck with a sideward glance.

"You're a light sleeper, Jimin."

Jimin's eyes fell back on Taehyung, while he folded his arms in self defence. But because he offered nothing to retaliate, the heavy silence seemed like a defeat for both of them.

"We don't have all day." Taehyung snapped. "Just grab your , and come with me."

Taehyung reached for Jimin's arm and barely grazed it as Jimin pivoted away.

"To where?" Jimin questioned coldly.

"Did you really not get my messages?" Taehyung fumed in disbelief. "TO DAEGU, JIMIN. We have to be at the airport in an hour, and even then I might not make the waiting list..."

Worry seeped through Taehyung's fading voice and furrowed brow, and Jimin felt his resolve weakening.

"Taehyung, just go..." Jimin urged finally, with shaky fists pressed to his sides.

Taehyung observed Jimin's conflicted demeanor, and was confused. "What do you mean?" 

"Don't let me hold you back. You have to go. NOW."

"I didn't come all the way here to leave on my own, Jimin."

"Do I have to spell it out??? I'm not leaving with you!!!"

"Please, Jimin. You can  as much as you want later. Now is not the time." Taehyung pushed past Jimin to enter the apartment. If they were going to keep arguing anyway, he might as well be packing up Jimin's things in the meantime.

Taehyung stopped short when he noticed a piece of clothing lying in a prominent spot of the living room. 

Their friendship boundaries have been non-existent for long enough and Taehyung would normally turn a blind eye towards seeing Jimin’s briefs in the open, but this pair of briefs called for attention because it was carelessly strewn on the living room sofa.

Taehyung fell completely silent, and Jimin who was hot on his heels let out a tiny gasp behind him. Taehyung swerved around, almost hurling himself at Jimin for an answer.

"What's that." Taehyung demanded in a low, simmering tone. "Were you in the middle of ing someone?"

"Tae, I can explain—" Jimin's face was full of shame, and Taehyung thought that alone explained everything.

"Of course... Why else wouldn't you answer my calls?" Taehyung pressed his hands to his temple as he felt his head pounding with terrible thoughts.

"Tae, please, listen..."

"NO! Don't ing say it... I have no time..." Taehyung started to slam open every single door in the household. "WHERE IS HE??"

Taehyung flung off Jimin's hand at every point he tried to come close, and when he swung open the door to Jimin's wardrobe, a guy in a similar half-dressed state as Jimin was waiting with a patient smirk. Jimin slumped against the doorway of the room which now contained the 3 of them, putting a fair bit of distance between himself, Taehyung, and the third party in the room. 

Jimin had fast given up on his original intention to explain. It doesn't matter what Taehyung thought of him. He had already known when Taehyung broke up with him. Taehyung had wilfully cut himself out of Jimin's life since last autumn, and Jimin had been thrown into one of the loneliest winters of his life because he couldn't even get his best friend to talk to him. Had he tainted their friendship when he wanted something more with Taehyung?

Whatever it is, Taehyung looked so devastatingly close to crying and Jimin just wanted to hold him. But Taehyung had flung his hand away like poison, and Jimin didn't have the right to go near Taehyung at this point.

"Why......" Taehyung shrank from the overflowing cockiness the other guy was exuding, and his knees gave in when he found his legs backed up against the edge of the bed. Thankfully, he landed on his bum instead of falling flat on his face. But his heart was already so heavy he felt like he was sinking into the ground entirely.

The other guy stepped out of the wardrobe with his bare chest puffed up, and the way he addressed Taehyung was to assume an equal footing.

"Aren't you just an ex? It's not up to you if he decides to get with me."