“I thought you’ve moved on,”

Nayeon does not leave her eyes off Jimin, as Jimin plays with the straw with his fingers. It's exasperating, and Jimin doesn't even hide that annoyance when he sighs heavily. He thought they already grew old enough to stop conversing about this. Nayeon knows that's a topic that can push Jimin's buttons over and over again, even though Jimin has sorted things out.

“Move on? From what exactly?” Jimin furrows his brows, faking his perplexity.

“Oh come on, Jimin. You never liked me back because you are stuck on the same man since our college days till now,” Nayeon retaliates, which makes Jimin bulges his eyes wide to show how searing he is now. If Nayeon really intends to get under Jimin's skin, she has made a spectacular job on that.

“I have never seen Namjoon hyung as more than just a brother! Yes, I thought that I liked him on the first place. But after knowing him more for a while, I knew by then that our relationship was nothing but platonic. Namjoon hyung has nothing to do with this and stop finding things to be blamed on,” Jimin counterattacks, voice sounded bold and unwavering.

Nayeon crosses her arms, throwing her gaze away from the blonde. She can feel the lump on , but she’s not going to go with her plan on throwing tantrums if Jimin still doesn’t want to be her boyfriend. The memories from her college days are played back on the back of her mind when she always saw Jimin around Namjoon almost most of the time. Every time Nayeon tried to ask him to go out for a date, bluntly or obliviously, he would always mentioned Namjoon’s name as his loophole. Jimin even showed off his sweater that Namjoon bought for his birthday two weeks straight to his colleagues, which made Nayeon felt unappreciated especially when the lady handpicked a pair of Timberland boots that might cost thrice the sweater.

Of course, this thing has been the only thing Nayeon keeps holding on ever since, the only topic she keeps poking on Jimin. Jimin had given his solid conclusion that his friendship with Namjoon will never extend to more than that, and Jimin has never had the intention to. It's hard to accept the fact that Jimin really has no feelings on Nayeon at all, not even a fragment of attraction, not even a glimpse of hope. That's why Nayeon creates her own assumption that someone, or something must have blocked Jimin's way to go to her heart.

It's agonizing, when it is just an assumption, when it's just a dream that has always to be meant for dream.

And maybe, just maybe, she can finally welcome the pain.

Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Nayeon decides to put this wasteful chasing games to a full stop and stop beating around the bush.

“I’m sorry and thanks,”

To say he is shocked is an understatement. However, since this is the (very first) favorable response for him, he prefers to just leans back against his chair, relaxes himself with quirked eyebrow. Crossing his arm, he just shuts his mouth close as a sign to let Nayeon talk what she wants to.

“I’m sorry for all the inconvenience that I’ve caused you to be in, and the friendship that might’ve been broken by me because of this juvenile thing,”

Jimin stoic face softens a little as he clears his throat, trying to sound as genuine as Nayeon.

“H-Hey. It’s okay. I'm still down if we want to stay as friends, y'know? Those few years of friendship we had back when we were still in college, that shouldn't go to a waste," Jimin finally drops his callous facade, not trying to be indifferent with someone he used to feel comfortable to spend leisure time with. Nayeon is a good friend, Jimin doesn't even deny that. He doesn't mind if they want to rebuild the friendship back, if Nayeon is in the same page with him.

"What about the thanks, though?” Jimin adds.

Nayeon shyly beams as hue starts to dust on her puffy, fair cheeks, making the guy weirded out. What with the sudden change of expression and atmosphere? Didn’t they just spit fires to each other just now?

“Thanks for bringing y/n along. I feel like I’m a young teen who’s madly infatuated onto her crush again!” Nayeon confesses eagerly, making the blonde alarmed.

“I can see why people would like her so much. Other than the allure she possesses, she’s also as kind-hearted as Namjoon oppa,” Nayeon adds again before sipping her drink.

Jimin gulps, feeling a little threatened to hear the amount of enthusiasm b in each of Nayeon's word. The level of admiration Nayeon pours onto you is unpleasant to Jimin. Trying to mask his distaste, he just keeps silent and drink his coffee when suddenly the lady speaks again.

“So, I have a chance with y/n?”

With a composed, poised moves, Jimin puts his cup of iced coffee on the table, plastering his most dignified, victorious smirk ever as he leans forward a little to Nayeon before declaring in his most subtle, collected tone ever.

“I’m sorry, but she’s already someone else’s baby,”

…

Jimin get to arrive to his house right on time when all of the boys have taken their seats on the dining table for dinner. That’s the loudest dinner they have ever had, since his hyungs keep teasing Jimin with Nayeon on their ‘date’ just now. On the other hand, the maknae line, including Jimin, make numerous attempts on locking their gazes with you, just to see what’s going on inside your head, but to no avail. You scare him even harder when you excuse yourself from the table earlier than the others, as you quickly leave the kitchen after cleaning your dishes without making any eye contact with the aforementioned guy.

The grey blonde mentally curses himself and knock his head on the table, guessing that he messed up big this time. If Jimin isn’t in his right mind, he would have dismiss himself from the table and straightly follow you to your room, but Jimin knows that would just raise curiosity in his hyungs’ minds. With profuse and generous amount of patience that Jimin has to put in, he waits for the whole table done eating and finds the right time for him to meet you.

It is thirty minutes before twelve, and finally all of the members return to their respective bedrooms and Jimin get to sneak into the hallway to tiptoe to your room. Unfortunately, Jimin can only find you have fallen into slumber with your whole body engulfed in your comforter. Closing the door silently behind him, he softly ambles towards your bed, gently dropping his knees on the floor and registers each and every feature of your face in his mind. Your face is lit by the moonlight as shadows of your eyelashes protrude perfectly on your skin.

Jimin furrows his brows a little when he notices something.

There’s a trail of fresh tears on your cheeks glistening under the moonlight.

(Mood : EPIK HIGH X END OF THE WORLD - Sleeping Beauty)

His brows furrow harder and his frown becomes clearer. The concern creases on his forehead are now visible and he can’t help but to have to endure the twinge in his heart as he swears himself internally. The fact that you’re hurt because of him makes he wants to batter himself with punches and fists. You do nothing to deserve this, and Jimin told himself that he never deserved you.

Pursing his lips, he shakes his head a little as a silent, regretful sigh leaves his lips before he shifts his gaze back to you. Softly, he brings his fingers to wipe the wet trails off. However, Jimin flinches when he can feel you stirring beneath the comforter and you slowly lift your eyelids.

“Jimin?” you murmur with slightly cracked voice, unsure if it’s caused by the sleeping or the crying.

“Babe,”

Kicking the sheets off your bare legs, you fix yourself to sitting position before circling his neck with your arms. You let the gloomy guy nuzzles his head into the crook of your neck as he loops his arms around your waist, pulling you closer until you are literally on his lap.

“Why did you agree to let me go with Nayeon in the first place? Why did you leave earlier? Why did you do this if you knew you’ll get hurt anyways?” Jimin muffles gently, almost like a muffled whisper.

“Because I like you,”

Jimin loosens his hug as he lifts his head from your neck, arms still s on your waist. Plastering a confused face, he locks his watery eyes with you.

“Because you like me? So what? You’ll let Nayeon to go on a date with me? Because you think Nayeon’s more worth than you? You want to let me go cause you thought Nayeon’s better? Are you-”

Jimin's babbles are cut in when you quickly lean in for a deep, ardent kiss before pulling away softly, leaving both of you panting lightly. Jimin’s forehead is completely covered by his bangs, making him look cherubic and younger than ‘party version of himself’. You beam genuinely as hue is evidently painted on his cheeks. You poke onto his chest with your index finger lightly, gazing straight into the brown irises of his.

“I trust you, Park Jimin," you wait a beat, staring into the other's glazed eyes before proceeding, "I know you won’t do such things to me. I let you go with her so I thought that both of you can settle everything that’s happening between you two. So you can talk her out. That’s what I thought. Things did happen that way, right? Both of you did converse about this thing, right?”

Jimin nods a little. A soft chuckle escapes your lips when the guy’s lips form a cute pout. Sometimes you wonder how can he actually be five years older than you when he acts five years younger.

“When I say something, I truly mean it. When I said I trust you, I am really putting my whole trust on you, Jiminnie,”

“Then, why did you cry?”

You drop your gaze downward, leaning your head onto his shoulder, attempting on avoiding eye contacts.

“Of course I am lying if I say I’m not afraid,”

Jimin pulls you into his hug, as he cradles you gently with tiny movements from left to right.

“But, you’ve came here, that’s all what matters,” you mutter, fondly smiling.

"I'm sorry,"

"No, Jimin. I made you do that. You don't owe me any apology,"

Tightening the hug, you and Jimin keep in the position as silence and coldness filling up the entire room. After awhile, Jimin untangle the hug a little, hands still on your waist as he locks his eyes with yours.

“Goodnight, princess. I’ll leave first,”

“You can stay if you want,”

Jimin blinks and gulps audibly. The last thing he wants to do is to make you feel uncomfortable. Since you are new to this kind of thing, this kind of phase in your life, Jimin doesn’t want to take things in normal, typical pace, unless you’re okay with it. He'll go slower than usual, if that what it takes for you to be with him. He is being really cautious in this relationship, especially when there’s innumerable times he has to hold himself back with all of might left in him from doing something… overboard. For instance, like this one, and he is hesitating whether to accept the offer or not. His brain is trying to cast all of his naughty thoughts off as he is endeavouring his best to remain his composure in.

“W-what if others-”

“I heard you locked the door just now, Jimin,”

Averting his gaze off you, he blushes, heat concentrating on his cheeks. So she wasn’t sleeping just now, huh?

“If you’re fine with it…” he murmurs shyly.

“I’m fine. I trust you. Let's just sleep, yeah?”

Therefore there both of you are, cocooned in your own comforter with both of your hands wrapping around each other’s waist, legs tangled beneath the sheets. You rest your head on his chest as he snuggles his head on top of yours, running his fingers in your brunette hair.

“I’m sorry if you have to restrain yourself so many times,”

“No, y/n. Don’t apologize. You have nothing to apologize for. We’re taking this slow and steady together. We’re not going to do anything that will make you feel uneasy, okay, princess?”

Your heart flatters uncontrollably as the words slipped off his mouth oh so sweetly. The grey bundle of fluff never fails to make you smile, ever since both of you haven’t even in this term yet. You swear this is the first time you’ve ever fallen so hard for a guy. People might say that this might be a short-term infatuation, that this is just one of those puppy love you experience while you're in your school years. Yet, it isn't. The feeling is deeper, the feeling is stronger, and the thought of it is enough to scare you. You never know how love actually works, how love actually even exists, how love feels. There's so much questions stuck in your head, pleading and begging for answers.

But when you lay your eyes upon Jimin, the questions seem to disappear.