He hated it, hated watching as Jung-Hyun walked inside the house with that little brat, hated it more when their laughter filled the entire silent living room abruptly, and how they smiled at one another. He hated watching as they did their homework together, watching as they leaned in to share the same text book, commenting on the same questions and working together to get the job done. He hated watching as they finished together, how they even washed the dishes together, leaving him alone to stare from the corner of the room.

He understood his jealously very well, in fact he understood it enough that he had even tried to sabotage the beast countless times. From hiding things in her room that he stole from his father, or from ripping up her homework so that she would have a bad grade to show her mother. It mattered not, the brat always seemed to prevail with a soft smile and an understanding nod, as though she actually did it herself and took the blame.

What he didn’t understand, is if he was jealous that Jung-Hyun didn’t pay attention to him anymore like he used too, or if it was because Jung-Hyun got all of her attention. It wasn’t as though she ignored Jungkook all the time, in fact there were days where she would invite him out the simply go get some ice cream or to ride bikes. It was days that she invited him out, did the jealously fade away even without the presence of his older brother being there, he was rather delighted just to spend time with the girl.

“Earth to Jungkook” Jimin snapped his fingers impatiently, noting the youngers attention had left their circle, considering he didn’t make a comment on their conversation at hand “dude what are you staring at?”

“Nothing” Jungkook sighed out with irritation, hating that their shoulders were touching each other, wasn’t the kitchen counter space big enough that they didn’t need to be so close to one another?

“He doesn’t like his step sister” Taehyung whispered loudly enough that it wouldn’t even be considered a whisper, his boxy smile proving that he thought he got away with it not being heard by his best bud.

“Not true” Jungkook was quick to defend, crossing his arms in front of his chest “can we just get back to the assignment? I’m tired” he lied as he often did, for he himself couldn’t even find the answer in which was sought. Was he jealous or not?

“Do you like her?” Jimin’s voice pulled his attention immediately, completely disgusted with the question being asked.

~*~ Jimin’s POV ~*~

“Gross” the boy breathed out, his attention than falling towards Taehyung, but Jimin had asked the question on purpose. He never once mentioned if it was a romantic kind of like, yet the latter automatically assumed it so, opposed to the relationship between brother and sister. Just as Jimin had assumed, Jungkook had a crush on the older girl, and envied his older brother’s ability to get along with her so easily where she only looked at him as the annoying jerk he could be.

Jimin could remember a time in which the boy would have tried to impress the girl, would have tried anything to get her attention. Jungkook was attractive, so it was rare when his actions of flirting went by unnoticed. He also enjoyed the attention, and once upon a time, Jungkook would have tried to keep every single eye on him, now? Now Jungkook seemed to enjoy not having any attention on him and did his best to avoid anyone who wasn’t within their original circle.

He remembered the nights where he held the youngers crying frame to his chest, how his arms that were once made of strength became wobbly limbs when around his waist. He remembered harshly how much his body shook with every new sob, how wet his shirt became within minutes. Kana had hurt him in the harshest way, and Jimin could do nothing for the younger boy aside offer some words of advice and hold him during his fits.

His crying had stopped after a week had passed, but that didn’t entirely mean that their life had returned to normal. In fact, it was opposite of normal as Jungkook got angry easily when normally preserved and relatable in other’s sufferings. He fought a lot, getting into arguments at any chance that was provided, even getting suspended for punching a guy who barely did/said anything wrong towards him. Jungkook had replaced heartache with anger, and it was slowly tearing the young boy apart and turning him into a monster that even his family couldn’t handle.

“Janine invited her over for the night on Friday” Jimin pushed further, wanting to confirm his suspicions before coming up with his plans, before coming up with something that may be able to save one of his closest friends, or destroy him whole.

“Her boyfriend comes on the weekends, she’s not…”

Oh right, there was the boyfriend that stood in his way as well, and Jimin couldn’t help but to silently curse at himself for forgetting such a large detail in his way. “Sang-Oh accepted it” he spoke softly, watching Jungkook’s every reaction as though it would clue him onto something that wouldn’t be spoken verbally, but instead of seeing a fit of predicted jealously, he was granted a strange glance within his direction. “You’ll get the house to yourself once again, that’s got to be exciting” Jimin pampered the thought, Jungkook nodding a few times before falling back towards Taehyung whose conversation seemed much more alluring.

Jungkook was suspicious of him, he’d have to try Sang-Oh.

~*~*~*~

“What school did you use to go to?” Jimin asked when finding the female alone at the kitchen table, her eyes leaving the long paper to glance within his direction, a soft smile taking her lips which proved that she no longer viewed him as the plague.

“Seoul High…” She spoke without much thought “why do you ask?”

“Seoul huh? I know a few people there” he avoided the question for he didn’t have the need to lie and he frowned heavily upon those who did. “Min Yoongi” he started to name some of the people he knew, but didn’t need to name further for soon her smile would become even brighter, indicating that she knew that name as well.

“I grew up with him” Sang-Oh admitted “how did you manage to meet him?”

“Oddly enough, it was through an audition, he was rapping, and I was singing” Jimin recalled the memory of his busy day within Seoul, meeting several different faces but none of them stood a chance to competing with Min Yoongi and his dark chrematistic aroma. He held a strange persona towards him, a look of pure boredom and exhaustion as though he could care less about the world around him.

“We helped each other out with lyrics and been friends since” Jimin admitted, leaving out the fact that the man made his heart race with every cold stare he would be given, how his body ached with every smile the man threw within his direction, or how hypnotized Jimin became when staring into the dark vessels that were claimed as eyes.

‘STOP THAT PARK JIMIN!’ He yelled at himself mentally, knowing his cheeks were already heated from the memories, his eyes looking for a distraction, thankful when Sang-Oh spoke instead to avert their attention elsewhere.

“He acts all grumpy, but he’s incredibly sweet once you get to know him” Sang spoke with an honest smile, as though recalling the memories herself. “I knew he was into music, but he really raps?”

“Mhm, he’s really good too” Jimin admitted, remembering clearly how deep those lyrics were that flowed through thin lips, remembering how much his face brimmed with life the moment he began his first verse. ‘Pull yourself together man!’ Jimin mentally slapped himself once again, Yoongi always having a way to distract him from even the most important things in his life.

“You can sing?” She asked, and this time it captivated his full attention as he nodded “sing something for me?” She asked, heat quickly taking his cheeks.

“Maybe one day, Taehyung and Jungkook must be with me, they make up a good sum of the song we wrote.”

“Jungkook can sing too?” Sang-Oh asked with wide eyes, proving further that the two must not have spent much time together.

“Shut up Jimin” Jungkook’s voice came from behind the duo, Jimin’s attention immediately falling towards the younger boy, looking for more signs and clues about what he was really feeling. “Don’t you have friends of your own? Must you hang out with mine?” His voice was harsh and accusing, making any one who didn’t know him flinch, and yet the eyes that stared back at him wasn’t afraid one little bit but were more so annoyed.

“Why can’t we have the same friends?” Sang-Oh challenged and it only brought forth more anger from the younger boy as he diverted his attention from whatever was in the fridge towards the girl. “Are you that threatened by me Jeon Jungkook?”

‘This is going to be bad…’ Jimin’s heart dropped while debating which person to stare at, time standing still as the two locked eyes and challenged one another. ‘Really bad…’ the more seconds that passed by seemed to only make the tension rise, both parties neither backing down nor trying to speak first.

“Look” Jungkook’s voice was dark, menacing and husky, and Jimin couldn’t help but to feel slightly fearful himself at the sudden behavior. “I have no need to be threatened by the likes of you” Jimin had never seen Jungkook become so terrifying, something about it making his stomach hurl for the girl beside him. “I have the power to destroy your pathetic life, so don’t forget that… You’ll hate yourself by the time I am finished with you… You’ll hate yourself so much that…”

“Jeon Jungkook!” Jimin couldn’t stop himself from yelling, stealing the younger boy by the lobe of his ear and pulling him off into the hallways, his eyes staying accusingly while staring towards the younger boy. “Why are you so cruel towards her? Do you hate her that much?” Jimin asked, alarmed when the boy’s teeth sank into his bottom lip and his eyes fell towards the floor.

“I can’t stand her…” Jungkook admitted, his chest falling heavily up and down as though tears were threatening to come forth, and for once Jimin wished that they would, that he would allow his hard-stone walls to crash for only a minute in his life, to release all his hurt and lay it onto his shoulders. “I just wish she would leave…”

“Jungkook” Jimin whispered softly, alarmed when the boy’s facial expression changed from painful to outright angry, making Jimin stumble back a bit from the sudden change.

“I’ll make sure she leaves this house shortly. She’ll hate being here. She’ll hate everything about this place…”